Having just about gotten our heads around BYD’s lexicon of eccentrically named EV and hybrid models, the Chinese conglomerate has thrown us yet another curve ball, with suggestions of a further triple-pronged assault on the European market.
Details of SUV/off-roader Fangshengbao and ultra-luxury Yangwang models are still extremely sketchy, and it is possible that only the SUVs will make it to the UK, but the introduction of the Denza luxury-performance brand is nailed on and its cars are due to appear on these shores early next year.
What’s more, Denza will be marketed as a stand-alone brand, so instead of sharing showroom space with lesser BYD models, the cars will be positioned in an exclusive number of bespoke dealerships.
That said, talk of European-style real estate sharing with exotic brands such as Lamborghini hasn’t been totally ruled out of the equation.
Clearly, the rationale behind this latest subversion stems from a determination to get under the skin of the German aristocracy.
By combining elegant design, sumptuous interior appointment, innovative tech, creative driving technologies and outrageous performance, Denza reckons it will provide a true premium experience at a far more affordable price point than its German rivals.
In fact, Denza is so confident in its new line-up, executive vice president Stella Li even went so far as to describe these forthcoming models as being: “Ten times better than the competition”. Bold words indeed, even if Li declined to name names when asked to identify specific competitors.
Talking to technical staff at a private test track in Milan however, engineers did reveal they’d benchmarked the Porsche Panamera and Taycan and the BMW M5 when developing the company’s Z9 GT super saloon.
Featuring either hybrid or full EV powertrains and with power outputs of more than 900hp, the Z9 is built on BYD’s e3 platform, featuring blade cell batteries and cell-to-body construction. The EVs utilise a three electric motor configuration, with a single motor on the front axle and two at the rear.
There are plans afoot to have up to seven Denza models in the line-up, with the Z9 and the D9 MPV spearheading the advance.
Even though the management team remain extremely tight-lipped regarding rivals and pricing, the fact the Z9 was designed by ex-Audi crayon wielder Wolfgang Eggers, and that from many angles it is impossible not to see certain Porsche design elements, gives you some idea of the well-heeled clientele Denza is targeting.
