Denza X9 GT Profile (Source: Denza)

BYD's higher-end brand named Denza is about to launch the Z9 GT, a new electric station wagon at the Beijing Auto Show on April 25. The new car is currently undergoing testing in Stuttgart, Germany. The Z9 GT exterior was designed by BYD's Global Design Director Wolfgang Egger and his team. Notably, Egger was the design director of the Audi brand. The Z9 GT will likely be sold globally, accelerating the brand's international ambitions.

Denza X9 GT (Source: Denza)

According to Denza's Sales Division General Manager, Zhao Changjiang, the X9 GT is leaps and bounds ahead of cars in its class, in terms of interior spacing, smart features, ride comfort, acceleration, and handling. He claims that the X9 GT is even superior to the Porsche Panamera and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

The X9 GT allegedly scored a new world record, close to 90km/h, in the "moose test", which is a dynamic safety test to evaluate a vehicle's ability to swiftly maneuver around obstacles on the road, such as a moose, at high speed. For reference, as of June 2023, the best moose test score achieved by the Citroen Xantia Activa V6 was 85km/h followed by the 2023 NIO ES6 at 84.08 km/h. The new Xiaomi SU7 joined the Top 10, scoring 82km/h. The X9 GT turning radius is also believed to be sub-10 meters, compared to 11.6 meters for the Tesla Model 3.

An MPV Success Story

In China, the Denza brand has largely been successful in only the MPV segment, with the D9 Dm-i (PHEV version) and the EV version. The Denza D9 starts at 339,800 RMB and is the most expensive model of the three. The two other models are SUVs, the N7 and N8. However, both SUVs have not yet garnered significant traction, with the N7 plateauing at 1,810 vehicles sold in September 2023 and have since dipped to only 294 units in February 2024.

Faceoff with ZEEKR 001 and NIO ET5T in the Domestic Market

While management has been benchmarking the X9 GT against German luxury vehicles, it will likely directly compete against the ZEEKR 001 and NIO ET5T in the Chinese . Competition remains relatively scarce in the station wagon segment. However, ZEEKR was the first to prove that wagons can sell well. ZEEKR launched a facelift of the 001 and has received over 30,000 firm orders in its 1st month on the market, once again reflecting its overwhelming popularity. Another evidence of station wagons' growing appeal is the ET5T's popularity over its sedan sibling the ET5, outselling the latter by an approx. 3:2 ratio.