New Delhi: BYD has finally said it out loud: Denza, its luxury brand, is heading to India. A short “Arriving soon” teaser went up on Denza India’s social media this week, with the brand’s blue-and-silver logo and a line promising a “sophisticated, high-performance EV experience.” Vague, sure. But it confirms what Autocar India reported earlier, that the launch is a matter of months.
Denza will sit above BYD’s regular lineup, mostly north of Rs 80 lakh. The brand started in 2010 as a joint venture with Mercedes-Benz, though Mercedes sold its stake and handed full ownership to BYD by 2024. It already sells in China, Southeast Asia, Australia, Europe and Latin America.
The first two models are reportedly the Z9 GT and the D9. They couldn’t be more different.
The Z9 GT is a four-door shooting brake, and nothing else like it is sold here. The numbers are silly. Three motors, all-wheel drive, 1,156hp, a claimed 0-100kph in 2.7 seconds. The battery is 122.5kWh, with a WLTP range of 600km. Peak charging is rated at 1,500kW, which in theory means 10 to 97 percent in nine minutes. I’d like to see that happen outside a press release, and India’s charging network is nowhere close to supporting it. Rear-wheel steering allows a sideways “crab walk” and a full spin on the spot, a bit like the G-Class Electric’s G-Turn. Expect a price of Rs 1.2 to 1.5 crore.
The D9 is the sensible one, relatively speaking. It’s a big luxury MPV going after the MG M9 and Toyota Vellfire. The India version should get a 103kWh battery and a front motor making 313hp, with a WLTP range of 520km. Seating is 2+2+3, and the second-row captain’s chairs come with heating, ventilation and massage. Expect around Rs 90 lakh, between the M9 and the Vellfire.
That pricing is the interesting part. The D9 looks well placed, but Rs 1.5 crore for a Chinese-badged shooting brake is a harder sell to buyers who’ve spent decades learning to trust German badges. Denza says nothing about dates or dealers yet.
