BYD’s luxury Denza brand arrives in Europe with Porsche in its sights
BYD has announced it will be bringing its premium Denza brand to Europe by early 2026 with its all-electric, 952bhp flagship Z9 GT shooting brake as its debut vehicle
Created to rival the likes of the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo, the Audi S6 e-tron Avant, and the BMW i5 Touring, the Denza Z9 GT is underpinned by BYD’s 800V ‘e3’ (‘e cube’) electrical architecture, which allows for ultra-fast charging.
The 100kWh BYD Blade battery returns a range of 391 miles on the less-stringent Chinese CLTC test cycle, and is integrated into the Z9’s body to improve rigidity and can accommodate a tri-motor setup.
Denza has yet to confirm European specifications for the Z9 GT, but the Chinese market version has a 308bhp front-mounted motor, and a pair of 322bhp motors running up to 21,000rpm at the rear. Combined, they produce 952bhp and a 0-62mph time of just 3.6 seconds.
Further tech underpinning the Z9 GT includes air-suspension, double-wishbone suspension up front, and a multi-link arrangement at the back. Moreover, the two rear motors can be controlled independently allowing for the use of a rear-wheel steering system.
This allows for a city car-rivalling turning circle of 4.62 metres, as the wheels rotate to or away from the centre of the vehicle. This means that the Z9 can crab sideways into tight parking spaces.
Like the rest of the BYD range, the Z9 was penned by Wolfgang Egger who penned the Alfa Romeo 8C and headed up the likes of Audi Design and Giugiaro. Inside, the Z9 appears to retain BYD’s renowned high quality fit and finish. The Chinese carmaker’s now-signature 17.3-inch infotainment screen dominates the centre of the dash, and a 13.2-inch display is provided for the front passenger.
BYD was cagey about the rest of the Z9’s equipment. However, various outlets have reported the brand’s executive vice president, Stella Li, believes that its levels of advanced tech mean entering the premium European market will “not be too much of a challenge” for Denza.
“The Denza product is ten times better than the competition. We have lots of features that legacy brands do not have. Selling BYD cars is simple: just bring all the competing. cars to a test track and let customers chose for themselves.”
The Z9 EV will also be joined by a plug-in hybrid version. Later down the line, Denza will introduce its seven-seat D9 MPV to the European market. Ultimately, it aims to sell between four and six models across the continent.
