Denza, BYD’s premium marque, will bring the Z9 GT estate to the UK later this year; the model is sold as a saloon in China. UK buyers will see a 933bhp tri-motor electric variant and a plug-in hybrid driven at Goodwood that pairs a 204bhp 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine with a 268bhp front motor and two 295bhp rear motors for a combined 858bhp. The petrol engine primarily charges the battery but can directly drive the wheels at higher speeds.
The cabin mirrors the Denza B5 with three large screens and will gain a column-mounted shifter for the UK in place of a bulky gear selector. On the Goodwood circuit the PHEV delivered a strong initial shove but felt heavy given its near three-tonne weight; brakes and high-speed stability impressed, while steering feedback was muted, understeer and traction-control intervention were evident under hard acceleration, and the battery ran flat, leaving the car reliant on the petrol engine and CVT.