BYD has launched a new luxury brand with its inaugural model, the Z9, boasting an impressive output of 870 horsepower. Here’s what you can expect from driving this vehicle.
The Chinese company BYD is introducing its new high-end brand,
Denza
, heading to Europe. The naming of its inaugural model, Z9 GT, encapsulates its market standing: ‘Z’ represents the peak letter in the English alphabet, while ‘9,’ according to Chinese numerology, symbolizes luxury and importance.
The Denza Z9 GT is an upscale, athletic station wagon created to showcase BYD’s advanced technology. This vehicle features independent rear-wheel steering that allows the back wheels to move oppositely from each other, enabling the car to turn primarily around the front axle for easier parking. Additionally, it can execute a full circle spin in one spot and switch lanes smoothly using all-four-wheeled steering, similar to how a crab moves sideways.
The Z9 GT offers extensive adjustability, allowing it to maintain control of the vehicle even when a tire blows out, up to speeds of 180 km/h (111 mph). You can observe this feature demonstrated in the video of our test drive provided above.
2025 Denza Z9 GT: Design of the Body
The Denza Z9 GT has an overall length of 17 feet, stands at 4.9 feet tall, and measures 6.5 feet in width, featuring a wheelbase of 10.3 feet. Similar to the shooting brake design, its size and proportions align closely with those seen in such vehicles.
Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo
, featuring a design language established under the guidance of Wolfgang Egger, who previously worked for Alfa Romeo and Audi.
Designers mention that silk, a fabric which drapes smoothly over contours in an effortless and graceful manner, served as their inspiration for shaping the Z9 GT. This core concept steered the development of the vehicle’s design, affecting elements such as the divided headlamps and a flowing line that begins at the front wheels and extends along both sides of the car.
The design team responsible for the Z9 GT also developed the new Denza brand logo. This emblem differs from BYD’s logo as it doesn’t incorporate the brand initials; instead, it features a more artistic symbol.
2025 Denza Z9 GT: Cabin Design
The passenger cabin of the Denza Z9 GT similarly embodies the concept of softness and fluidity inspired by silk. This can be observed in the curved design of the dashboard that flows into the door trim, as well as in the contours of the seats, which come with features like heating, ventilation, and massage functionalities.
To enter the luxury market, Denza employs premium materials like leather and aluminum, complemented by an OLED screen and a Dynaudio audio system. Additional refined touches include a fridge beneath the front central armrest and a larger one situated between the back seats.
To top it all off, there’s a large amount of space available for passengers, which has been prioritized over luggage. The quoted cargo capacity of less than 17.6 cubic feet, in fact, is less than you’d expect from the storage area of a car of this size.
2025 Denza Z9 GT: Behind the Wheel
During the inaugural dynamic test event hosted by BYD at Milan Design Week 2025, I had the opportunity to observe several presentations highlighting the functionalities of all the Denza Z9 GT’s features.
The vehicle utilizes a plug-in hybrid system featuring a forward-placed 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine delivering 207 horsepower, complemented by an electric motor responsible for driving the front wheels through an E-CVT continuously variable transmission. Additionally, this setup allows for charging a 38.5 kWh battery equipped with BYD’s blade-style cells using lithium iron phosphate technology, which employs a cell-to-chassis design aimed at enhancing structural efficiency.
The vehicle has an additional pair of electric motors located at the rear axle, which brings the combined power output to 870 horsepower. This enables acceleration from 0 to 62 miles per hour in just 3.6 seconds. Each rear wheel can be steered individually and move either forwards or backwards concurrently, facilitating the aforementioned maneuvers and decreasing the turning radius to approximately 30 feet—this is notably tighter than both the Tesla Model Y’s around 39-foot diameter and the Alfa Romeo Stelvio’s similar figure. Nonetheless, I noticed that tire wear was somewhat significant because of the considerable sliding interaction between the tires and road surface during these dynamic movements.
At the testing facility, I had the opportunity to navigate various surfaces tailored to assess the car’s suspension performance. These shock absorbers are managed by electronic systems and provide excellent comfort during the Denza Z9 GT’s journey.
I wasn’t able to push the vehicle sufficiently to grasp how the systems maintain balance with respect to weight. According to Denza, the production model will tip the scales somewhere from 6,060 to 6,170 pounds based on the final specifications. Additionally, I did not get an opportunity to delve into all the features of the hybrid system.
According to Denza, the Z9 GT has an all-electric range of 124 miles based on the Chinese CLTC standard. This would be approximately equivalent to about 99 miles under the European WLTP testing conditions. The vehicle supports DC fast charging with a capacity of up to 82 kW.
2025 Denza Z9 GT: Price Details
The plug-in hybrid-equipped Denza Z9 GT that I evaluated will hit European markets in February 2026. The all-electric variant is anticipated by late 2025. This model features a 100-kWh battery pack, offering an impressive output of 965 horsepower, accelerating from zero to 62 mph in just 3.4 seconds. Its estimated driving range stands at around 391 miles under the CLTC standard (approximately 348 miles according to WLTP), along with rapid-charging capabilities up to 270 kW using direct current.
The pricing details have not been disclosed; however, we can estimate based on the costs of more upscale BYD models. For instance, the BYD Tang retails for approximately 73,000 euros. Given this information, the Denza Z9 GT would likely cost more than that amount since Denza represents the highest tier within BYD’s range of brands.
| Denza Z9 GT | |
| Length | 17 feet |
| Height | 4.9 feet |
| Width | 6.5 feet |
| Weight | 6,170 pounds |
| Engine | 2.0-Liter Turbocharged Four-Cylinder Engine (207 horsepower) |
| Motor | 1 front, 2 rear |
| Transmission | E-CVT |
| Drive Type | All-Wheel Drive |
| Output | 870 Horsepower |
| Speed 0-100 KPH | 3.6 seconds |
| Battery | 38.5 kWh lithium ferrophosphate blade battery |
| EV Range | 99 miles according to WLTP – 124 miles based on CLTC |