Denza Z9 GT - New Performance Luxury Coming Soon to the UK
Alex Goy has been to China to check out the latest from BYD's luxury arm, Denza. The Denza Z9 GT is taking on the likes of BMW, Mercedes-Benz and even Porsche and in 2026, models will be arriving on UK shores in an attempt to disrupt the luxury market.
We all know what a BYD is these days, right? It's a Chinese brand that makes EVs and hybrids. Some are quick, some are less quick, they all have silly names, and are keenly priced. But what if BYD did luxury? In 2026, we're going to find out what that looks like with its posh sister brand Denza, and its first car: the Z9 GT.
BYD's Luxury Brand
The idea behind Denza is to look BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Porsche, etc., firmly in the eye, draw a finger across its neck, and say: "I'm watching you." See, when BYD sets its mind to doing something, it tends to just… do it, and well. The Z9 GT is proof that it's not simply copying the Germans' homework, but rather running with the idea of luxury and making it something a bit new. A shooting brake affair, it's a blinder to look at. Curves, a wonderful silhouette, and chunky wheels work wonderfully together - it looks and feels, for want of a better word, proper.
Inside, it's much the same story. The materials are bang on, and the way they're used is excellent. You don't feel like you're in a facsimile of a luxury car, but in something a bit special. Of course, there are screens in all the right places, and they'll probably end up being irritating after a while, but for a brief squirt in a controlled environment, they weren't overly offensive.
Denza in the UK
We'll be getting two versions over here, a hybrid, and this - an EV. For your money, you get a 100.1kWh battery firing power to a 952bhp 848lb ft motor. 0-62mph takes 3.4 seconds, and you'll glide up to 149mph given enough space. That might seem a little sluggish considering the power, but it does weigh over 2.8 tonnes, which is… a lot. BYD says it'll manage 391 miles on a charge too, though that's on the Chinese test cycle, not the Euro-calibrated WLTP tests. Your mileage may vary. Literally. On the plus side, the Z9 GT will be able to take advantage of BYD's megawatt chargers. They, in case it wasn't obvious, can fire 1000kW into a receptive car, adding 249 miles of range in five minutes. First rolled out in China, the tech is soon spreading across the globe - including the UK.
Crab Steer & Other Party Tricks
Now, as the Z9 GT is a BYD product, it comes with gimmicks. If a BYD flagship doesn't do needless tricks, is it really a BYD flagship? The Z9 GTs are, admittedly, quite smart, though where you'll use them is down to how inventive you are. The car's rear wheels can counter-rotate and steer themselves, which means you can nose the car into a gap and then get the rears to spin the tail into place. If you're a woeful parallel parker, or you live at the top of a series of very, very tight bends that aren't appropriate for a nearly 5.2 metre long car… you're sorted. If, however, you don't mind parking the old fashioned way and don't sleep in a cartoon vampire's castle it's a cool but needless trick.
That's not its only party piece, though. The Denza Z9 GT can crab walk. Much like the office junior after a Christmas party, it'll zig-zag itself forward without actually turning. Using its rear steer, twinned with the fronts of course, it'll stay arrow straight but sort of slither onwards. If you turn the steering wheel too far, it'll steer like a normal car, but otherwise it'll crab away. On the Z9 GT's infotainment screen, it appears that the crab walk's purpose is to slide through busy city traffic (while confusing the crap out of the driver behind), but, again, steering normally will do the same job just as well. You might be able to gently slot yourself into a gap wholesale from time to time, but it's just... Strange.
As neat tricks go, they're ace, but let's be honest, you'll use 'em a couple of times to show off and then never touch them again. It's a bit like the tank turn on the new EV Merc G-Class: Largely needless theatre for Instagram.
Quality and Feel
How does it fare as an actual car, though? As a place to sit, it's really, really well put together and pretty with it. You can tell a close eye was kept on the target market, which has led to a truly lovely place to simply be. The seats are soft, but supportive, the touch points are all just so… It feels like it could be a credible threat to Germany's finest.
Being a Chinese car in China, there are a few spec differences between the car that'll eventually arrive on UK shores and the one we got to have a spin in. First and foremost - the suspension. China likes a soft'n squidgy car, so that's what we had. The steering is also on the soft side, per market preference, and is going to be sharpened up before it gets over here.
Driving the Z9 GT
Out on track, you'll not be surprised to hear that 952bhp felt pleasingly brisk. With a big 'ol straight ahead of us, it was hard not to give it a tickle - it shifts with a gentle urgency that rather fits its character. It's still got the thick end of 1,000bhp to move, but the softer springs make it feel more like a high speed sofa than a pointy GT. Though the steering is soft, it makes the car feel far more relaxed than anything you'll find in our bit of the world. Never has going quite so quickly felt so restful. The soft springs have a disadvantage, though - in corners, you don't half feel the Z9 GT's weight shift. It's a lean-y beast when you're giving it some. That'll be dialled out, sure, but it felt a bit odd.
When not giving it welly, it's a smooth, composed, refined car that you can easily picture yourself covering serious miles in. It's big, comfy, spacious, and deliciously fast when you need it to be. If Denza/BYD's range claims are legit, the Z9 GT will certainly have the chops to be a serious competitor to the legacy manufacturers. The only thing Denza has to do is convince European drivers to make the switch.
UK Pricing
BYD hasn't provided any official European or UK pricing guidance as yet. In China, prices range from 335,000 to 415,000 yuan, depending on the trim, powertrain, and all the jazz.
Converted to GPB, that would make the Z9 GT £35,500-£45,000, which is an incredible deal - but we're not going to see prices that low. Import taxes and local homologation requirements are likely to bump the numbers up a fair bit.
words Alex Goy
photography BYD Global
