Denza Z9 GT EV: a BYD car with a ‘handful of party tricks’

The Chinese giant BYD’s premium Denza brand is launching in the UK with its flagship Z9 GT. A shooting brake designed to compete with the likes of Mercedes and Audi, it offers “a handful of party tricks” and “punchy performance”, said Car magazine. Initially available as an EV, with a hybrid to come, it has three motors for a combined 1140bhp, and can do 0-62mph in just 2.7 seconds, with a top speed of 168mph. Its “massive” 122.5kWh battery has a quoted range of 373 miles.

However, its “party piece” is the 1500kW “Flash” charging system: it can charge from 10%-97% in just nine minutes. BYD plans to open 300 Flash locations in the UK by the end of the year, but time will tell if that happens.

With fully independent rear wheels, the Z9 GT can move sideways and diagonally as well as forwards and backwards, and you can ask it to “crab-walk” itself into a tight parking space autonomously, said Autocar. It is also “bloody quick”, though its 2.9-tonne weight affects everything, and if you accelerate hard the nose lifts significantly. Handling is “pretty good” and it’s comfortable at motorway speeds, but below 40mph it’s “too fidgety”, and the air suspension could do with a “touch more damping”.

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With no fewer than four screens, including an “overbearing” 17.3-inch central display, the controls take a bit of getting used to, said the Financial Times. But the interior is “well-appointed”, with loads of space and four leather seats, all with heating, cooling and massage functions. And while the driving dynamics aren’t great, it is a comfortable ride on long distances. Overall, the Europeans still have the upper hand, but with more models to come from the Chinese newbie, “the competition is just getting started”.