Denza Z9 GT review: should Europe be afraid of this crab-walking, 952bhp EV?

What’s a Denza?

It’s a BYD but really posh. It’s what you get when you use the company’s mad tech and combine it with lots of toys, slick materials, and more power than is strictly necessary for a road car. It’s BYD’s take on the German big three (and Porsche), but somehow more luxurious - at least that seems to be the idea.

OK. So are we going to get them in Europe?

Yes! Denza’s scheduled to arrive in 2026, and it’ll be launching with this Z9 GT. It’s available in China with two powertrains - a PHEV, and a full on EV. As it stands, and as BYD was very keen to point out, the suspension is on the squishy side, and the steering is a touch soft. The local market likes its cars like that, but Europe will be getting a pointier car to suit its tastes.

What was it like to be in?

Given a short stab at BYD’s Zhengzhou test track, it was rather pleasant. You can tell that plenty of attention has been lavished on its interior. All the materials feel top notch, there are some neat design touches around the cabin (the ‘Chinese Knot’ motif is particularly sweet), and everything feels solid. No creaks or rattles here. BYD is the sort of company that, once it decides it’s going to do something, does its best to make sure (in its eyes at least) it’s ‘better’ than the thing it’s targeting.

Is it ‘better’?

Well. It’s hard to find a German manufacturer that’ll do you a four-door coupé/shooting brake/wagon that, with a full-on EV setup fitted, comes with 952bhp. There’s one point for ‘em. Before we get to the powertrain we need to talk about the look of the thing. It’ll cut a fine figure in the golf club car park, and it’ll be able to fit a family’s worth of clubs in the back without too much trouble.

What about tech?

With limited time, there are only so many buttons you can press before you’re ushered out of the car. The screens (and there are many) are big, slick to use, and as clear as they come. You can also make it crab walk thanks to all-wheel steering, which feels… strange, and it’ll pivot around its front wheels by counter-rotating its rears. It’s a neat trick if you’re terrible at parallel parking or live in a block of flats with a really tight car park: pop the nose in, press some buttons, and let the car do the rest. Or you’ll use it a handful of times to show off and never use it again.

So far it sounds decent. How does it drive?

It’s soft ’n squidgy as promised, which… kinda suited it in a strange way. It felt a bit like an American sedan in the movies, though one with over 900bhp.

Quick, is it?

Yeah. Denza says it’s got 952bhp, 848lb ft, and will do 0-62mph in 3.4 seconds before clipping 149mph. That’ll do. The 100.1kWh Blade battery will, says Denza, get the Z9 GT 391 miles between charges. Said charges can take basically no time at all if you find yourself at one of BYD’s soon-to-be-in-the-UK 1,000kW Megawatt chargers. They can add 249 miles of range in five minutes, according to BYD.

Does it feel fast though?

Oh goodness, yes. It feels very much like a proper GT, but one that has a desperate need to be on the other side of the horizon at any given moment. Fast executive cars aren’t a new thing, nor are fast EVs, but Denza’s performance figures didn’t seem to be lying on track. The Chinese setup meant that it enjoyed a lean at surprisingly low speeds around the circuit, but that’ll be dialled out by the time it gets to us.

Should the Germans be scared?

Without the brand caché that goes with being one of the big Germans, BYD has a job to do to make a mark in the sector, but… if the price is right, and the Euro-tune works with the car, you might be able to hear papers on desks scrabbling on the continent.

Price: TBC
Engine: Tri-motor EV
Power bhp/lb ft: 952bhp, 848lb ft
Transmission: N/A
Performance: 0-62mph in 3.4 seconds, 149mph top speed
Weight: 2,875kgs