Before trade wars became supercharged and the world tilted on its axis, not a lot disturbed the tranquil existence of European motoring industry fat cats. Well, those days are long gone, and things are about to get even tetchier in the boardroom thanks to the ground swell of credible challengers coming out of China. Take Denza, a sub-brand of BYD, which is due to hit our streets early next year. Its Z9 GT super saloon features an elegant exterior penned by renown German designer Wolfgang Eggers and an interior which wouldn’t look out of place in Homes and Gardens.
Granted, we’ve only had the briefest of drives in a Chinese spec Z9, but early impressions suggest if it is priced to undercut the like of the Porsche Taycan and Panamera by a significant margin and receives some subtle tuning tweaks to better suit UK drivers, it could shake the establishment to the core.
Performance
We drove the plug-in hybrid version, which uses loads of EV technology allied to a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine. The petrol part of the equation develops 272hp and works with a pair of 299hp rear motors to create 870hp, which can launch the Z9 from 0 to 62mph in just 3.6 seconds.
The system relies on a 38.5kWh battery and can operate as an EV at lower speeds for up to 125 miles but it also uses the petrol engine to power a generator, which in turn charges the battery. Should you wish to max out the performance, then the engine will contribute power to the front wheels much like a traditional hybrid. Alongside the outlandish performance, the refinement and transitions between petrol and EV modes are particularly impressive.
The GT is also available as a full EV and in this guise, it employs three electric motors. While the motor on the front axle produces 385hp, the two on the rear axle generate 326hp apiece, giving a combined total of 952hp.
Driven sedately, the 100kWh battery is likely to be capable of 350 miles between charges and although charging times are yet to be announced, because the battery can accept charge rates up to 270kW it should only take a trice to buzz those miles aboard.
The GT also bristles with many party tricks. For instance, the twin-rear motors combined with independent rear-wheel steering allow the rear wheels to articulate up to 15 degrees independently in or out and those same wheels can be driven in opposite directions, thus the ability to crabwalk pivot around the front axle and allow the car to slide sideways into some incredibly tight parking spaces.
Interior
Denza’s engineers did mention some interior realignments for UK cars, including relocating the gear selector from the centre console to the steering column and dialling back the levels of crystal bling on the switchgear. In our opinion however, these changes seem designed primarily to cater to the whims of prospective customer clinics rather than providing any aesthetic or ergonomic advantage.
Obviously, there’s plenty of leather trim throughout, along with loads of burnished wood effect materials, while the dashboard features three screens, including a 17.3in central touchscreen, a 13.2in driver display and another 13.2in touchscreen ahead of the front passenger. Although most of the controls are accessed via these screens there are also a handful of physical buttons to control the most used aspects.
Ride and handling
As for driving dynamics, the handling could undoubtedly benefit from more urgent steering responses and the brake pedal does have an undesirable two-stage feel but to be fair, this is not uncommon with regenerative braking systems. Perhaps more concerning is the fact that engineers suggested they intention to firm up the air suspension to better cater for European tastes. In response, we advised them to leave well alone as the balance between control and comfort we experienced seemed close to ideal and the last thing anyone needs is yet another rock-hard autobahn basher. We’ll see if our advice has been heeded when we drive the cars in the UK next year.
Positive: Quality interior, innovative drive features, exceptional performance.
Negative: Ride quality is still an unknown, brand perception may undermine RVs.
Standard equipment: TBC
Engine: Plug-in hybrid: 870hp; Electric: 952hp
Equipment grades: TBC
Transmissions: Single speed twin-axle motors, single speed tri-axle motors
| Model | Denza Z9 GT Plug in Hybrid |
| P11D | TBC |
| On sale | 2026 |
| Residual value | TBC |
| Depreciation | TBC |
| Fuel | TBC |
| Service, maintenance and repair | TBC |
| Cost per mile | TBC |
| Fuel consumption | TBC |
| CO2 (BIK%) | TBC |
| BIK 20/40% a month | TBC/TBC |
| Luggage capacity | TBC |
| Engine size/power | 2.0-litre/272hp + twin 299hp e-motors/870hp |
| Score | 8/10 |
