DENZA, the premium technology-oriented automotive brand of the BYD Group, made its official public debut in the UK at the popular Goodwood Festival of Speed. DENZA showcased its elegant European design influences, sophisticated materials and cutting-edge innovations like Super DM hybrid with a selection of models on show, including the Z9GT Grand Tourer and the B5 premium SUV.
DENZA’s presence at Goodwood is being led by the advanced Z9GT, a model that brings many unique features to the premium market and offers customers the choice of either a pure-electric powertrain or the colossal range of a Super DM plug-in hybrid configuration.
The Z9GT used DENZA’s Goodwood stand to demonstrate the unique capabilities of its e3 Platform, performing Compass U-Turns and showing how precision control, torque control and supreme steering enable easier parking manoeuvres in tight situations.
DENZA’s presence will be completed by the D9, an MPV that mixes sustainable powertrains with a cabin honed to deliver business-class comfort, and the B5, a premium SUV that will bring the appeal of an off-road focus to the range.
Executive Vice President of BYD Stella Li commented: “We’re thrilled to be introducing DENZA to UK customers, especially at the iconic Goodwood Festival of Speed. This is a brand that has always had its roots in European design in particular, and we’re confident that British car enthusiasts will find inspiration in how DENZA blends that influence with our sophisticated technologies, the finest craftsmanship and, for the first time in this segment, a true focus on efficient, sustainable new-energy powertrains.”
European influence from the outset – how DENZA has evolved
DENZA was founded in 2010 as a joint venture between BYD and Mercedes-Benz, allowing a unique blend of European design and luxury experience with Chinese expertise in electrification. Those European genes continue to run through the core of DENZA’s products today, for while DENZA is now wholly owned by BYD, its design direction is guided by the renowned German designer Wolfgang Egger. And of course, it is supported more than ever by the colossal development department at BYD, with more than 120,000 engineers working constantly on innovative technologies that enhance the user experience.
Every letter of the DENZA name itself relates to a key attribute of the brand’s values. D stands for Diverse, referring to the wide range of abilities that will be covered by the vehicle line-up; E refers to Elegance, referencing the timeless design and comfortable dynamics and cabins of DENZA models. N stands for Novel, reflecting the unique features introduced by DENZA vehicles, while Z is Zenith, thanks to the peak sophistication delivered by the bespoke e3 Platform and a ground-up dedication to new-energy technologies. And A equates to Aspirational, acknowledging DENZA’s positioning in the premium segment, with desirable design, quality and materials.
Timeless elegance of design meets cutting-edge technology
Aesthetically, the DENZA brand combines elegant finesse and premium craftsmanship to create a strong sense of resilience, safety and power, while offering exceptional refinement and aerodynamic efficiency. The inspiration for the vehicles’ clean, understated surfaces is silk – a fabric that is luxurious both to the eye and the touch.
Design Director Wolfgang Egger said: “There are some rules in design, just as in architecture. Every line, every graphic, every surface must have a relationship together and make sense. True lines enhance the beauty of the sculpture, and this is what we have worked towards with DENZA design.”
He added: “In the case of silk, it is an inspiration in many ways. Take a sculpture, or a vehicle like the DENZA Z9GT, and cover it in silk. Then take the same item and cover it with cotton, and you’ll notice a big difference. You know what happens: the silk falls naturally and covers the body but still shows, under the surface, the beauty of what is already there.”
This design ethos delivers confident, fluid lines that epitomise precision at every touchpoint, while successfully exploiting the DENZA-specific platform beneath to ensure proportions that appeal to the eye and maximise cabin packaging for a supremely comfortable passenger experience.
With BYD as the parent brand, advanced technology and smart connected experiences are core characteristics of DENZA. The interior of DENZA models exudes a high-tech ambience, with a signature large touchscreen at the centre of the console and wraparound cockpit, as well as rear multimedia screens for passenger infotainment and premium sound systems.
Powered by the sophisticated e3 Platform
At the heart of the Z9GT lies the e3 Platform, created specifically for the DENZA brand. It brings a number of world-first and class-leading functions, based on four core technologies: three-motor independent drive, rear-wheel dual-motor independent steering, Vehicle Motion Control and Cell-to-Body (CTB) battery-body integration.
This all-encompassing solution means vehicles with the e3 Platform have abilities that are unique to the premium segment: the turning circle of a European city car in an E-segment model, crab-walking functionality for narrow streets with obstacles, and world-beating reaction times that bring higher levels of dynamic involvement and safety.
