► BYD’s new premium brand comes to Europe
► We speak to the boss, Stella Li
► Why they think they can take on the premium brands
Another day, another European brand launch. This time it’s Denza, a brand originally created by Daimler Group and BYD, but now acting as a more premium arm of the latter. It’ll launch in Europe this year, with a UK launch slated for 2026.
For those following BYD’s automotive empire, Denza will sit above the high-volume BYD range, but below its ultra luxurious Yangwang offering. To complicate matters further, it’ll sit parallel to the BYD’s off-road-orientated Fangshengbao brand.
Two cars are already planned; the Z9 GT shooting brake which we’ve driven, and a D9 MPV which we’ve seen in passing. There’ll be around six or seven cars in total, with two of those being off-roaders.
‘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, speaking at the brand launch, which took place during Milan’s design week. ‘This model is a defining example of what Denza strives to achieve; this makes it the perfect choice to lead Denza into Europe.’
What makes Denza special?
Denza wants to take the fight the German premium brands, and it believes it has perfect combination of style, technology and value to do so. The European style is taken care of by ex-Alfa, Lamborghini and Seat designer Wolfgang Eggers, and the result is a car that looks a lot like the Porsche Panamera in detailing and proportions. Interestingly, the Z9 is already available in China and exists as both a shooting brake and three-box saloon – but BYD’s data suggests the shooting brake will do better in Europe.
Technology is also a key aspect, with Denza benefitting heavily from BYD’s advanced tech. Take the Z9 GT for example; it gets an e3 platform with BYD-blade cell and cell-to-body tech, and it also gets some Yangwang-style trick parts that allow it swing itself 360-degrees and crab walk into tight spaces.
Denza wants to take on its German competitors in technology, comfort and value – not performance – but the Z9 GT is hardly slow: the BEV takes 3.4 seconds to hit 62mph from a standstill, and thanks to a 100kWh battery, 308bhp front motor and a pair of 322bhp rear motors (Chinese specs) it produces 952bhp.
Combine those performance figures with a techy interior that boasts three screens and BYD believes it has the technology to ease clear of rivals:
‘This car is really ten times better than the competition,’ Li told CAR at the brand launch, ‘we have a lot of unique features the other legacy brands do not have.’
Value is the final part of the equation and remains something a weapon of the BYD group – despite Denza’s more premium positioning. CAR understands Denza will not overlap with BYD on price (the cheapest Denza will cost more than the most expensive BYD) but it’ll offer a punchy spec sheet compared to its premium competition.
Why the Z9 GT first?
‘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 when asked about the Z9 GT. ‘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.
What’s next?
Just the Z9 GT and D9 MPV are on the cards for now, though more cars were shown on a slide during the brand launch. Alongside the Z9, D9 and two Fangchengbao off-roaders (which CAR understands will be sold under the Denza umbrella), there was another car under wraps – which could be the recently revealed Yangwang U7. If true, that’d be because the Denza name works better with Western audiences than the somewhat awkward Yangwang moniker.
Can Denza do it?
If Denza’s technology is as good as it says (which we’ll find out when we drive the car) then it has a good chance of succeeding in Europe. And even if doesn’t overcome its premium competition, an aggressive pricing strategy could mean it’ll attract customers from the segment and budgets below – a similar proposition to Chinese brands like Omoda and Jaecoo.
What’s more Denza benefits from BYD’s groundwork and learnings: ‘we need to pay extreme attention to the after sales service,’ Li told us. ‘We bring a very technologically [advanced] model, but then we’ll build up a very strong after-sales service,’ she continued.
‘When we launch into Denza, that’s more about premium. It’s very important, not only to tell the story, but also pay attention to the details – and the service we will do much better.’
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.