Here’s everything you need to know about Denza
Many car manufacturers are coming over from China and dominating the UK car market.
Chinese-made vehicles have many upsides with their ultra-low price tags, impressive electrified powertrains and standard equipment levels.
However, there haven’t been many premium brands that have joined the mix until now. Denza is the latest firm to enter the UK’s new car fleet and will be introducing its first model towards the end of this year.
So, what is this new manufacturer? What does it sell? And, what’s the history behind the company?
We’ve compiled a list of everything you need to know about this new firm from China.
What is Denza?
You might think that Denza is a completely new brand from China. However, dig a bit deeper into its history and you’ll find that it’s related to a couple of well-known brands.
The company was founded in 2010 and is the premium sub-brand of the rapidly growing firm, BYD. It was also in a venture with the parent firm for Mercedes, Daimler, and launched its first model back in 2014 for the Chinese market.
Its vehicles will be going up against some strong competition from the likes of Mercedes and Porsche when it launches its first model onto UK shores towards the end of this year.
What models does it make?
Last month, the firm revealed its first model for the European market with the Z9 GT.
The Z9 GT is a four-seater four-door GT coupe that will rival the likes of the Porsche Taycan and Porsche Panamera.
It will be available as an EV and will boast 800-volt technology or there will be a plug-in hybrid variant.
European specifications haven’t been revealed at this stage, but the electric version for the Chinese market comes with a 100kWh blade battery pack and three electric motors that produce a total of 952 bhp. It can take the car from 0-60 mph in 3.2 seconds and can do a claimed 391 miles on a single charge – according to Chinese test cycles.
The PHEV variant comes equipped with a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine with a pair of 295bhp electric motors located on the rear axle and a 38.5kWh battery pack. This gives a total power output of 858bhp and can take the car to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds.
Denza claims the PHEV model can travel up to 125 miles on electric power and that it can travel 684 miles on one tank.
Does Denza sell other models in China?
The simple answer is, yes. The firm currently sells the N7 and N9 SUVs in China and both come with electrified powertrains.
The N7 is an electric midsize crossover that would typically rival cars like the Tesla Model Y, while the N9 is the flagship SUV in the firm’s flagship SUV and comes with a three-row six-seater configuration and it’s also powered via a plug-in hybrid setup. It would rival cars like the Mercedes EQE if it were ever sold in the UK.
What are its future plans?
Denza has a lot of plans for the future, with the firm wanting to launch at least four to six new models in Europe very soon.
It plans to produce new SUVs and off-roaders as well with the Z9 and D9 being the trailblazers for the brand in Europe.
Denza will introduce its dealership network to the UK as a bespoke franchise. Even though the firm is the premium sub-brand of BYD, its showrooms will be separate from its parent company. However, there have been no figures or projections to show how many Denza dealerships will be built when the first models come to the UK.
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