- BYD has pushed even further on its European expansion, with the debut of its premium Denza spin-off brand in Europe this week.
- Denza will be significantly separated from BYD vehicles, being sold through its own dealerships and sales channels, to help differentiate its premium stance.
- Thanks to it previously being a 50:50 joint venture with Mercedes-Benz, before eventually becoming wholly owned by BYD in late 2024, the brand already carries significant expertise when it comes to making luxury cars.
BYD expands its European ambitions with new brand launch
The Denza brand has been sold in China since 2014, but this marks the first time the brand will be brought to Europe. While the existing BYD-badged vehicles on sale in Europe have been marketed as high value propositions, the Denza brand will be competing against brands at significantly higher price points: think Mercedes-Benz, Genesis, Audi, and other brands of that calibre. Much like the BYD brand, a variety of models will be offered in both fully-electric and hybrid variants.
The first Denza-branded EV to come to Europe will be the Porsche Taycan-rivalling Denza Z9 GT, a fully-electric estate car with over 952 horsepower on tap. There’s no exact word on European pricing for the Z9 GT yet, but it’s expected to cost more than the most expensive model under the BYD brand, which currently starts at €72,000. In a trend we’ve seen across other Chinese manufacturers such as Changan Automobile, the design of their cars is becoming much more similar to that of European rivals – and the Z9 GT is no different, with design having been led by BYD’s Global Design Director, Wolfgang Egger – who previously served as head designer for luxury European brands including Audi, Alfa Romeo, and Lamborghini.
The Z9 GT model will be followed by the Denza D9, an all-electric seven-seater MPV, which will arrive later in the year, also followed by some yet-to-be-named offroaders. While Denza’s mainland European launch starts this year, the UK is not expected to receive Denza EVs until 2026.
