- Premium brand brings vision of future mobility to European customers, with the theme TECHNOLOGY DRIVES ELEGANCE
- Fusion of sophisticated design with unique features and breakthrough integrated vehicle intelligence
- Stunning, elegant Z9GT leads the charge as EV and Super DM Hybrid
DENZA, the premium technology-oriented automotive brand of the BYD Group, has been officially launched in Europe. Introduced in the heart of Brera Design Week in Milan, DENZA successfully mixes elegant European design influences with sophisticated materials and cutting-edge innovations, while leveraging the immense research and development resources of the world’s largest new-energy vehicle manufacturer to deliver breakthrough dynamics and performance.
DENZA Z9GT makes its debut at Milan Design Week
The new brand has also confirmed that it will lead its European introduction with 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 second model at launch will be the D9, an MPV that mixes sustainable powertrains with a cabin honed to deliver business-class comfort.
Executive Vice President of BYD Stella Li commented: “We’re thrilled to be introducing DENZA to European customers, starting here in Milan in the design week and accelerating as 2025 progresses. This is a brand that has always had its roots in European design in particular, and we’re confident that European customers 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.”
Stella Li gives details on brand at the conference
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.”
Wolfgang Egger speaks on design at the conference
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.
The Public guests have an early look at the E3 platform
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.
Sensational Z9GT leads European charge
DENZA is being launched with an initial two-model line-up, led by the technological and design tour-de-force that is the incredible Z9GT. First revealed at the 2024 Beijing Motor Show, the Z9GT is a dynamic, high-tech shooting brake that delivers earth-shattering performance from either a full-electric powertrain or a state-of-the-art triple-motor Super DM hybrid configuration.
Public guests explore the Z9GT at the conference
The Z9GT is the perfect showcase for DENZA’s bespoke e3 Platform, which allows the brand’s vehicles to incorporate hardware and software that lifts them above anything currently offered in the premium class.
The second DENZA model for Europe is the D9, a premium seven-seat MPV that delivers executive levels of comfort and refinement. The D9 is set to redefine the premium-class MPV market, with a full suite of in-car technologies supported by ultra-efficient new-energy powertrains.
DENZA timeline
2010 DENZA is founded through a partnership agreement between BYD and Daimler, with the goal of creating a new premium brand.
2014 The first DENZA model, the EV, is launched, successfully showcasing European design and manufacturing alongside BYD’s expertise in pure-electric vehicles.
2021 DENZA undergoes a significant renewal, with a new brand identity and logo, and an even sharper focus on premium design and technology.
2022 The first DENZA plug-in hybrid MPV, the D9, is launched. Its combination of DM-i Super Hybrid technology and European-influenced design proves an immediate hit with customers.
2023 DENZA enriches its product line by incorporating its elegant design approach and sophisticated technologies in sedans and SUVs. This widens the brand’s reach into many new segments and helps it to reach new customers.
2024 DENZA begins to develop and introduce models for overseas markets, redefining the levels of sophistication, refinement and sustainable technology that customers can expect in a premium vehicle.
2025 The DENZA brand officially arrives in Europe, after a launch at the prestigious Brera Design Week in Milan
