The announcement follows Denza’s European debut in April, when BYD officially introduced its premium brand to the continent at an event in Paris. At the time, the company said it would initially focus on the Z9 GT before expanding its European portfolio with additional models such as the D9 plug-in hybrid MPV, with BYD positioning Denza above its core passenger car brand. It then announced that sales of the Z9 GT would begin through newly opened Denza stores in France, Germany, and the UK – with the all-electric version priced from €115,000 and €101,000 for the plug-in hybrid in Germany. Italy and Spain were also confirmed as target markets, although there has been less follow-up since the April announcement.
Now, order books are open in the UK, with the first customer deliveries set to begin in Q4. In the UK, the all-electric Z9 GT features a tri-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain producing 1210Nm of torque – which Denza claims enables it to accelerate from 0-62mph in 2.7 seconds and reach a top speed of 167mph. A 122kWh battery meanwhile promises 373 miles of WLTP range.
Additionally, Denza is now offering the Super DM plug-in hybrid to UK customers, combining a 2-litre turbocharged petrol engine with three electric motors. The manufacturer quotes an electric only WLTP range of up to 126 miles and a total driving range of up to 500 miles with a full battery and fuel tank. The model accelerates from 0 to 62mph in 3.6 seconds.
The BYD sub-brand has also highlighted some of the car’s novel chassis technologies, including dual-chamber air suspension integrated with a Vehicle Motion Control system that “allows the suspension to communicate with the braking and the steering systems” with signal transmission times of as little as 10 milliseconds.
Meanwhile, a rear axle steering system allows the rear wheels to turn in sync or independently of both the front wheels and each other. According to the brand: “This allows the Z9 GT to perform manoeuvres such as crab walking at up to 8.5 degrees, a 360° compass turn, and deliver a turning radius of just 5.35m – as little as many superminis. Dedicated parking assistant services include the ability of the Z9 GT to identify a space and then reverse into it – a process that can be activated both from the driver’s seat or remotely via the smartphone app.”
Notably, the introduction of the Z9 GT will also see BYD bring its ‘Flash Charging‘ system to the UK for the first time. According to a press release from Denza, this comes with speeds of up to 1500kW, enabling the Z9 GT to recharge from 10 to 70 per cent in five minutes or 10 to 97 per cent in nine minutes. Denza says the latter is sufficient to add up to 323 miles of WLTP range in nine minutes.