Denza, the luxury vehicle brand owned by BYD, launched an upgraded version of its Z9GT on Thursday, introducing updated battery technology and a lower starting price as the company seeks to strengthen its position in the premium electric vehicle segment.
The battery-electric version of the new Z9GT starts at 269,800 yuan ($39,150), representing a reduction of 85,000 yuan, or about 23.96%, from the previous model's starting price of 354,800 yuan.
The upgraded Z9GT BEV offers a driving range of up to 1,036 kilometres under the China Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle (CLTC), which Denza said sets a new benchmark for pure electric vehicle range. The previous Z9GT BEV offered a CLTC range of 630 kilometres.
The model is equipped with BYD's second-generation Blade Battery and its latest ultra-fast flash-charging technology. According to company data, the system allows the battery to charge from 10% to 70% in about five minutes and from 10% to 97% in approximately nine minutes.
Denza also introduced a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle version of the Z9GT. The PHEV model uses a 63.8-kWh battery pack and delivers a pure electric driving range of up to 401 kilometres, nearly doubling the range of its predecessor.
With a fully charged battery and a full fuel tank, the plug-in hybrid version offers a combined driving range of up to 1,301 kilometres, the company said.
The new Z9GT incorporates several of BYD's latest technologies, including the e3 intelligent vehicle control platform, the God's Eye 5.0 advanced driver assistance system and the DiSus-A intelligent body control system.
Denza was originally established as a joint venture between BYD and Mercedes-Benz Group. Mercedes-Benz fully exited the partnership in September 2024, leaving Denza as a wholly owned subsidiary of BYD.