► Denza launches in Europe
► Kicks off with the Z9 GT
► Available in hybrid or BEV
Meet Denza, the latest Chinese brand looking to crack the European market. Founded in 2010 by Daimler and BYD, in 2021 Denza repositioned itself as a premium brand that marries technology and elegance. It sits above BYD’s volume-focused range, but below its ultra-luxurious Yangwang brand. This year it’s coming to Europe, with the UK entry planned for 2026.
Launching in Milan during the city’s annual Design Week, Denza is starting things off with the Z9 GT – a 952bhp or 858bhp shooting brake available with electric or hybrid powertrains. There are already several models in the brand’s Chinese range, but just two are confirmed for the EU for now; the Z9 GT and D9 MPV. However, CAR understands the range could swell to six or seven models – and even include some from both the Yangwang and Fangchengbao marques.
‘The Denza brand has European influence at its heart, and we are confident that buyers will find distinctive, unique appeal in the car’s mix of sophisticated, elegant design, strong performance and astounding technology,’ said executive vice president of BYD, Stella Li. ‘This model is a defining example of what Denza strives to achieve; this makes it the perfect choice to lead Denza into Europe.’
Any why not an SUV? Because ‘the Z9 GT is a good model to represent BYD technology, represent the design and all the unique technology we have for Denza brand,’ she added.
Two cars have been confirmed for the European market so far; the Z9 GT and then the D9 MPV, which will be a direct competitor to Xpeng’s X9 MPV when it arrives. Li told CAR the range will then grow to six or seven cars in total, including Fangchengbao off-road models. And we’ll get it out the way: the name is acronym for the brand’s key values: diverse, elegance, novel, zenith and aspirational.
Denza won’t confirm which car of the two will come first, but the smart money’s on the Z9 GT you see here.
The first car
Denza’s first model in Europe will be the Z9 GT, a handsome shooting brake penned by ex-Alfa, Lamborghini and Seat designer Wolfgang Eggers. Ask Eggers, and he’ll tell you the design of the Z9 GT was inspired largely by flying silk:
‘Take a sculpture, or a vehicle like the Denza Z9 GT, and cover it in silk,’ he said at the car’s launch. ‘Then take the same item and cover it with cotton, and you will see something very different. The silk falls naturally and covers the body but still shows, under the surface, the beauty of what is already there.’
Look at the car for yourself and you’ll see some heavy inspiration from Stuttgart, no surprise as the Z9’s styling and proportions use the Porsche Panamera as a reference. It seems to get more interesting as it goes on: you get an inoffensive BYD-face at the front, then Taycan-style sculpting on the sides. Finally, the car ends with a chunky pair of rear lights that are more American muscle-car than Chinese new-energy vehicle. It’s about ten times more interesting than something like the BYD Atto 2.
On paper, the proportions shout Panamera, but this car feels higher (due to its hybrid or electric powertrain) and more bulbous than the Porsche. BYD is hoping the Z9 GT’s more European looks will appeal to a European audience, and in person they might be right.
Interestingly, the Z9 is also available as a sedan in another markets. It arguably looks even better, but sadly there are no plans to bring that to Europe right now.
What about the powertrain?
The Z9 GT will be available in hybrid and full-electric. The BEV will use Denza’s e3 platform, which benefits from vehicle motion control (ESC), rear-wheel-dual motor independent steering, and cell-to-body tech for better battery integration.
Denza believes these three technologies combine to push the Z9 ahead of the competition: cell-to-body makes the car 32 per cent stiffer, while the rear-steering setup means the car can swing itself into gaps, or crabwalk into tight marking spaces.
It’s all backed up by strong performance: the BEV 0-62mph takes 3.4 seconds, thanks to a 101kWh battery, 308bhp front motor and a pair of 322bhp rear motors (Chinese specs). That’s 952bhp in total, with a CLTC range of 391 miles. CAR understands that’ll translate to something like 310 to 340 miles WLTP and a little less power, as engineers trade some speed for more palatable range for EU customers. When it’s time to charge an 800-volt system should speed things up.
The plug-in gets the same CTB tech and trick steering but swaps the motors for a 2.0-litre turbo. and 38.5kWh battery. The stats are nearly as impressive; the engine itself makes 268bhp and 232ft lbs of torque and it’s combined with two 295bhp rear motors (Chinese specs again). The hybrid uses its combined 858bhp of power for 0-62mph in 3.6 seconds.
As in the Seal U, the Z9 GT’s DM i hybrid system is able to act like a range extender at speeds below 62mph, and then more like a hybrid car using both the engine and motors at speeds over that.
What about inside?
Inside, the Z9 GT is as techy as you’d expect from a more premium version of BYD. Front and centre is a huge 17.3-inch touchscreen, flanked by two further 13.2-inch screens both for the driver and passenger. But despite the screen real estate, Denza’s designers have still managed to pack in an array of switches.
Cut like crystal, they’re all over the cabin – from the windows to the centre console – and they give the car an old school, premium feel. Combine that with ambient lighting and a 20-speaker system from French hi-fi brand Devialet, and the Z9 may actually back up its luxurious promises.
What are Denza’s chances?
Denza will face stiff competition from legacy brands – but a seemingly strong product alongside lessons learned from BYD’s rollout mean it’s in a better position to succeed than most.
‘We wanted to prepare ourselves, our staff and resources to be ready,’ Li said of the launch’s timing, and there are already key areas outside of the product Denza wants to nail.
‘We also need to pay extreme attention to the after sales service,’ Li told us. ‘We bring a very technologically [advanced] model, but then we build up very strong after-sales service,’ she added. ‘Then this gives people’s confidence. BYD is a long-term player, and we will always be here, to service them anytime, waiting for them.’
‘When we launch into Denza, that’s more about premium,’ she explained. ‘It’s very important, not only tell the story, but also to pay attention to the details – and the service we’ll do much better too.’
To that end, Denza will land in Europe as a very separate entity to its parent brand: it’ll be sold in a separate network to BYD, with Li confirming that the brand will benefit from its own bespoke dealers, marketing and sales teams.
As for the product? Li is even more confident about that: ‘I think to sell BYD cars is simple. Just bring all the competition cars in the test track,’ Li told CAR, ‘because this car is really ten times better than the competition. We have a lot of unique features the other legacy brands do not have.’
Whether the Z9 GT is a cohesive package remains to be seen, but we’ll find out when we drive it.