Denza Breaks Ground In India With The Z9 GT and D9

Denza is to BYD what you’d consider Lexus is to Toyota, with a focus on luxury electric vehicles

After plenty of breadcrumbs in recent times, we now have a new player in the automotive space in the form of Denza. Essentially it is the luxury division of the BYD group and they’re entering the Indian luxury space with not one, but two EVs with the Z9 GT and the D9.

Before we get the nitty gritties of the new EVs let’s have a quick refresher on Denza’s history. It started in 2010 intriguingly as a joint venture between BYD and the Mercedes-Benz group Daimler. Since 2014 however, they’ve been owned and completely managed by BYD. Where does it stand in the BYD ecosystem? Well it sits above BYD’s existing model lineup with a focus on premium EVs and PHEVs. Now let’s get to the two models Denza have decided to enter the Indian automotive space as CBUs.

Z9 GT

Starting off with the sportiest or the lot is the Z9 GT, priced at Rs 1.57 crore (ex-showroom), and is the only shooting brake model on sale in the country. Basically, it means it has a four-door layout combining a sedan-like front end with an extended roofline and a hatchback-like rear.

Considering its positioned as a premium tech-focused offering, it comes as no surprise that it is loaded to the gills with a highlight being three digital screens comprising a 17.3-inch central touchscreen, a 13.2-inch digital instrument display and a 13.2-inch passenger screen. Other niceties also include powered front seats with heating, ventilation and massage functions, a 20-speaker sound system, ADAS, four-zone climate control, and an augmented-reality head-up display.

Under the skin it packs three electric motors–one at the front and two at the rear to make a combined 1,156 hp and 1,210 Nm, with power being distributed to all four wheels. A 0-100 km/h time is claimed to be possible at 2.7 seconds with a top speed of 270 km/h. It also claims to pack some intriguing range figures with a 122.5-kWh battery allowing a WLTP-rated range of up to 600 km. Another cool party trick is the fact that it gets rear-wheel steering and a crab walk function that allows a 360-degree turn from a standstill. It also supports DC charging at up to 1,500 kW with a claimed 10 to 97 per cent charge in nine minutes. Of course such chargers won’t be available everywhere so it also supports AC charging at up to 11 kW.

Next up we head to the D9, which is priced at Rs 90 lakh (ex-showroom). Being a seven-seater luxury MPV, much of the focus in the D9 is on the rear passengers. The second row gets captain seats with powered, ventilation, heating and a massage function. There’s also touchscreen controls and dedicated entertainment screens. Of course there are other niceties like a 15.6-inch central infotainment touchscreen, a 10.25-inch digital instrument display, a panoramic sunroof, ADAS, and three-zone climate control.

The Denza D9 features the brand’s second-gen BYD Blade LFP (Lithium Ferro-phosphate) battery, with a 115.07-kWh capacity, that the brand says is good for up to 730 km of range (NEDC figures). However, far from being just a people-mover, the D9 packs a 340-kW (462-hp) front-mounted motor, driving the front wheels, making a peak torque of 365 Nm, and claiming a 0-100 km/h time of 8.5 seconds, which is no small feat for this 2,915-kg behemoth.

Even though Denza belongs to the BYD group, the two models will be sold in their own dedicated authorised dealerships. The Z9 GT stands out in its own niche as a Shooting Brake, while the D9 will be an alternative to the MG M9 and the Toyota Vellfire. Bookings for both the D9 and Z9 GT are now open, at a token amount of Rs 10 lakh. Both also get a six-year/150,000-km comprehensive warranty on the vehicle, besides an eight-year/160,000-km warranty on the HV electric powertrain.