Ambitious little Chinese carmaker BYD has been in the UK for a few years now, so obviously it’s time to launch a premium sub-brand that has loads of tech and a huge price tag. 

Denza was meant to be a joint effort with Merc parent company Daimler and started back in 2010, but the Germans had fully scarpered by 2024. 

Denza is a made up word that’s come from the brand’s original Chinese name Tengshi, which means ‘rising power and momentum’. 

What is the Denza Z9GT?

This is the car that Denza is launching in the UK with in 2026 – the Z9GT as a powerful statement of intent. Will anyone buy it? Who knows. There’s a giant expensive PHEV MPV coming soon as well, the D9, and then a giant expensive PHEV SUV, the B5, after that.

Why should EV buyers care about the Z9GT?

The Z9GT is the first hurrah for the next generation of battery tech from BYD (see below), which promises sci-fi charging speeds and no arguments from the bUt It’S qUiCkeR tO fILL wITh pEtrOl crowd. 

There’s loads of fun tech too – rear steering, a fridge inside the cabin that will cool your stuff down to -6ºC (no more worrying about the freezer stuff you just bought at the supermarket, we’ll need to see whether you can fit a full size Dr Oetker in there) and oodles of power (see below for that too). 

Tell me about the Denza Z9GT’s design

Denza says that the Z9GT has been designed “to mix elegance with practicality”. The style is classed as a ‘shooting brake’, which is a sort of coupe-meets-estate car. 

It definitely looks sharp, and that’s thanks to ex-Alfa Romeo and Audi man Wolfgang Egger wielding the crayons. The headlights seem to go on forever, but maybe that will help intimidate people out of your way on the motorway. 

The car has apparently been inspired by the way that silk drapes over a solid form – if you draped a sculpture in cotton it would look very different apparently. 

If you’re into dimensions, then the Z9GT is 5,180mm/1,990mm/1,490mm (L/W/H).

What are the Denza Z9GT’s battery, range and charging numbers?

The battery is the real star of the Z9GT show – it means it’s the first car to arrive in the UK with BYD’s second generation Blade battery and the Flash charging system that can juice the car back up at nearly 1,500kW. 

Denza reckons the Z9GT will get from 10–70% in just seven minutes, and only needs another four to get to 97% battery. Bonkers. Vicky went down to BYD HQ on the outskirts of London recently to see the new setup in action. 

We don’t, however, know what charging speeds will be like on a bog standard ultra-rapid charger the likes of which you’ll find on the M6, but BYD is building a load of fast chargers in the UK and you’ll get 12 months free on them when you get a Z9GT. 

The Z9GT has a 120kWh usable battery capacity, which makes for a WLTP range of 372 miles. Sure, it’s not particularly efficient, but it’s a big giant electric sports car. 

What is the Denza Z9GT’s performance like?

The Z9GT’s performance is set to be absolutely blistering – you’ve got three electric motors (one at the front, two at the back) offering a combined output of 1,156hp and there’s 1,210Nm of torque. 

The Z9GT will get from 0–62mph in 2.7secs if you can hang onto the steering wheel tightly enough, and it’ll plough on to a top speed of 167mph.

Is the Denza Z9GT practical?

Is it! How about a 495-litre boot that expands to 1,680 litres with the seats down and a 53-litre frunk under the bonnet. Not only that, but the Z9GT is rated to tow a massive 2,000kg. 

Denza reckons that the rear-wheel steering makes the car extra practical around town, with a 5.4-metre turning circle. Not that impressive in the grand scheme of things, but it’s better than it could have been. 

What is the Denza Z9GT like inside?

There’s plenty of interior tech inside the Z9GT that will complement the fancy leather and “light-smoked wood”. 

Up front there are electrically adjustable massage seats that will heat and cool you (possibly not at the same time), as well as active bolsters on the driver’s seat to stop you falling out if you’re taking a corner too enthusiastically. 

There’s a 17.3in central touchscreen for the infotainment and another brace of 13.2in screens – one for the instrument panel and one for the passenger to mess around with the music. The mesmerising display of information doesn’t stop there, there’s also a 50in augmented reality head up display. 

A 20-speaker Devialet sound system covers you for tunes and suchlike – the 1,150W setup uses Dolby Atmos surround sound, making the experience probably better than your local cinema.

How much will the Denza Z9GT cost?

Current estimates put UK pricing around the £100,000 mark, although official UK figures have not yet been confirmed. 

When will the Z9GT arrive in the UK?

UK sales of the Z9GT will begin towards the end of 2026 – we know that the car is going on sale in continental Europe in November, and we’re told that UK sales will happen just after. 

What cars will the Denza Z9GT rival?

This could be the sticking point for potential Z9GT buyers – just look at the cars you’re going to have to walk past to get one. The Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo would be a default choice if you’re in the market for a swanky electric sports car, there’s the Audi e-tron GT if you want the same as the Porsche but different. 

If you don’t mind the polarising looks (in fact they might be welcomed by the sort of people who purchase these things) there’s the new Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door coming later this year and if you fancy another new Chinese brand the Zeekr 001 is also set to go on sale later this year.