It’s not every day that a new brand enters the Indian market, but by the end of this year, we’ll have two – JSW and Denza. Last month, we exclusively reported on Denza’s intention to enter India, and now we bring you all the additional juicy details.
A little bit about the brand first. Founded in May 2010 as a joint venture between BYD and Daimler AG (now Mercedes-Benz Group AG), the company announced its brand name ‘Denza’ two years later. Mercedes has since exited the partnership, and in 2022, BYD repositioned the brand and is generally concentrating its efforts at the higher end of the market.
In India, Denza will be positioned above BYD’s existing portfolio, with products at around Rs 80 lakh and above, while BYD will occupy the Rs 20 to Rs 80 lakh space. Leading Denza’s charge will be two models, the Z9 GT high-performance fastback and the D9 luxury MPV. Both will be brought in as completely built-up units.
Denza Z9 GT: Enormously powerful yet practical fastback
The Z9 GT is Denza’s take on a fastback or, as the company puts it, a shooting brake with four-door practicality. It has both EV and PHEV options globally, but for India, we’ll get just the electric version, and its numbers are staggering. It weighs 2.9 tonnes, puts out a colossal 1,156hp from three electric motors (one at the front and two at the rear), that propel it from 0-100kph in 2.7sec and on to a top speed of 270kph. The only modest number is the range, which stands at 600km on the combined WLTP cycle. Charging, though, is super quick, with the company’s 1,500kW Flash ultra-fast charging that can take the GT’s 122.5kWh battery from 10 to 97 percent in just nine minutes. It stops at 97 percent to preserve the life of the battery. Expect to pay premium pricing for this level of performance, though; the GT would retail in India somewhere in the Rs 1.2 to 1.5 crore mark.
Here too, there’s a cell-to-body construction that integrates the blade cells directly into the vehicle structure, plus rear-wheel steering with a sideways crab-crawl ability, buttons to open and close power doors and, of course, Level 2+ ADAS. Inside, the GT seats five and pampers the four outer passengers with adjustable under-thigh support, heating, cooling, and massage functions, and the rear seats also recline. As with so many EVs today, the dashboard is dominated by screens, five in total, with two on the flanks for the outside rear-view ‘mirror’ camera feed.
Denza D9: Vellfire Challenger
The D9 MPV is available with electric or plug-in hybrid power globally too. For India, it’s the EV that will arrive, and in front-wheel-drive form. Expect prices at around the Rs 80 lakh mark, positioning the D9 above the MG M9 but below the Toyota Vellfire.
Power stands at 313hp and 360Nm of torque, and it’s fed by a 103kWh blade cell battery. Claimed range is 520km on the combined WLTP cycle, while charging speed peaks at 200kW on a DC fast charger.
The seating configuration is 2+2+3 with the centre captain seats offering full power adjustment, heating, ventilation and massagers, along with armrest-integrated control pads. Middle-row occupants also enjoy fold-out tables and extendable leg-rests. Other creature comforts include a three-zone climate control, premium Dynaudio sound system and full leather upholstery.
The D9 also features BYD’s cell-to-body construction that helps reduce weight and increase body rigidity. The luxury MPV also comes with an active body control system that, the company says, eliminates fore-aft pitching motion to keep the cabin flat during “nose-up” acceleration and “nose-down” braking forces.
Where does Denza fit in India’s automotive landscape?
The name Denza is an invented one and loosely translates to ‘rising power’ or ‘gathering momentum’, and that is what BYD will be hoping for in India. Hamstrung by the Indian government’s restrictions around Chinese investments, BYD – the world’s largest EV manufacturer – has not been able to grow. Its proposed $1 billion investment, along with a local partner, to scale up its small semi-knocked-down (SKD) plant in Tamil Nadu has been slowed by Press Note 3 – a 2020 policy that requires foreign investments from countries sharing a land border with India to get prior state approval.
Thus, given the limited playing field it’s been put into, getting into niches like luxury MPVs is a smart move from BYD. The segment accounts for about 2,000 units a year and is seeing rising customer interest and growth, attracting players like the Toyota Vellfire, the Lexus LM and Mercedes V-Class. The D9, then, has competitors to contend with, while the Z9 GT sits in a smaller niche, with just the Porsche Taycan as a similar rival. It’s likely to sell fewer numbers but will serve as a technology showcase and a brand shaper.
Interestingly, Denza will be retailed through exclusive showrooms separate from BYD. This may seem odd given the limited volumes, at least in the short term, but our sources tell us the company wants to provide Denza customers with a highly personalised shopping experience. The premium positioning will limit its network to larger cities; launch likely to be in the Delhi-NCR and Mumbai regions only. For BYD, though, it plans to scale up, thus keeping the two brands separated allow each to focus on their distinct goals.
So far, BYD India has managed a decent start and enjoys an awareness much higher than its actual market volume, enviable for a new brand. That’s all thanks to products that deliver consistently, with innovative tech like the famed blade cells. For Denza, though, the company also needs to build a high level of desirability, because at the upper end of the luxury spectrum, badge value accounts for nearly as much as, if not more than, engineering prowess itself, and that is what the company seems to be setting out to do.
