BYD's Yangwang Spied Testing Unnamed Rivals to the Rolls-Royce

BYD's Yangwang Spied Testing Unnamed Rivals to the Rolls-Royce Phantom and Cullinan

Fresh spy shots show a coach-door full-size sedan and a low, road-focused luxury SUV undergoing hot-weather testing, signaling a Chinese push into six-figure territory

Source: ArabGT2026-09-161 min read

Wikimedia Commons

Spy photos circulated by CarNewsChina show BYD's ultra-luxury marque Yangwang — the brand behind the floating, tank-turning U8 off-roader and the U9 supercar — evaluating two as-yet-unnamed flagships in extreme-heat testing: a full-size sedan aimed at the Rolls-Royce Phantom and a luxury SUV targeted at the Cullinan.

The sedan features rear-hinged coach doors, wide wheels in a classic style reminiscent of Maybach and Phantom, and sources suggest a "pillar-less" body, with the fully integrated battery pack credited for structural rigidity. The SUV, in contrast to the off-road-oriented U8, sits low with a sleek profile, low-profile tires, and a roof-mounted LiDAR unit supporting BYD's advanced driver-assistance systems.

Both models are expected to offer plug-in hybrid and pure-electric powertrains. If they reach production, Yangwang would be carrying Chinese electrified engineering into the ultra-luxury segment long dominated by Europe's oldest marques — a direct challenge rather than a mere showcase.

This is an original summary compiled and translated from the source below, not a direct translation of it.

Source: ArabGT →