Move over Porsche… little-known car brand to take on the German maker with super-fast GT packed with cutting-edge tech
PORSCHE could have some seriously steep competition in the not-so-distant future, as Chinese giants BYD are eyeing their perch.
The electric car maker, whose executive vice president, Stella Li, recently claimed “our goal is to be the global number one automotive brand,” is now looking to offer drivers a premium, high-speed experience with its sister brand Denza.
The first of their cars on offer will be the gorgeous Z9 GT, which clearly borrows design motifs from Porsche’s Taycan and Panamera.
The bold grand tourer, with a shooting brake, estate styling, was ambitiously unveiled at Milan Design Week – ready to be unleashed on the European market later this year.
Offering a frightening 952bhp in EV form, the Z9 GT will likely come to the UK’s shores either late this year or in early 2026 and will build up a separate dealer network and marketing operation from the already-established BYD.
Speaking to Autocar, Li said Denza will offer, “for the first time in this segment, a true focus on efficient, sustainable new-energy powertrains.”
Eventually, there will be a range of four to six models in Europe, including SUVs and off-roaders.
In China, they already offer the luxurious N7 and N9 SUVs.
Li said she thought entering the market would be “not too much of a challenge”, despite the brand’s lack of familiarity among potential buyers.
She added: “Selling BYD cars is simple: just bring all the competing cars to a test track and let customers choose for themselves.”
“The Denza product is ten times better than the competition. We have lots of unique features that legacy brands do not have.”
FULL WORKS
Denza is reportedly working on a number of upgrades for the Z9 GT before it reaches Europe – with expected improvements to the powertrain, performance, range, tyre sizes and storage capacity.
The electric version available in China features a 308bhp motor on the front axle and a pair of 322bhp motors at the rear, giving a combined output of 952bhp.
That’s good for a 0-62mph time of 3.4 seconds and a range of 391 miles on the Chinese test cycle.
The PHEV version, known as the Super DM, combines a 268bhp 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine at the front with a pair of 295bhp electric motors mounted on the rear axle, giving a total output of 858bhp and a 0-62mph time of 3.6 seconds.
So, it looks good—designed by former Alfa Romeo, Lamborghini, and Audi man Wolfgang Egger—and it’s fast.
But it’s also full of goodies, too.
Denza promises the model has an enhanced vehicle stability with the ability to safely cope with a tyre blowout at speeds of up to 112mph.
What’s more, the two rear motors on both the EV and PHEV versions can be controlled independently of the front axle and of each other – which, in turn, allows for the use of a rear-wheel steering system.
Bizarrely, the wheels can turn in the same direction as each other, in ‘toe-in’ form, where they both rotate to the centre of the vehicle, or ‘toe-out’, rotating away from the centre of the vehicle.
This will allow it to pivot around its front axle, allowing for a turning circle of a city car, as well as ‘crab walk’, allowing it to slide sideways into tight parking spaces.
The cabin is a great place to be, too, with a focus on a premium feel and tech.
That includes a 17.3-inch infotainment screen and a 13.2-inch display for the front passenger.
DISCOVER DENZA
Denza, founded in 2010 in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China, as a joint venture between BYD and Daimler – the parent company of Mercedes-Benz – launched its first vehicle in 2014.
But disappointing sales in 2021 saw Merc reduced its stake to 10%, which saw BYD then fully acquire the brand in 2022.
They then revamped Denza’s line-up, which now sees four models based on BYD’s e3 platform – designed to maximise interior space, aerodynamics, and driving dynamics.
Originally meaning “rising power and momentum,” Denza’s name is now an acronym for its values: Diverse, Elegance, Novel, Zenith, and Aspirational.
Interestingly, its model naming strategy aligns with this, assigning letters from the acronym to vehicle types (e.g., D for MPVs, N for SUVs, Z for saloons).