In case you didn’t already know, the name ‘Denza’ is hardly new in the global automotive scene. Founded by Mercedes-Benz alongside the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer right now, BYD, the brand has actually been selling its products in China since 2014!
But fast forward to the present and Denza is now exclusively owned by the Chinese giant, after the Germans in 2021 started reducing its stake in the joint venture, before exiting the joint venture completely last year.
While BYD-badged vehicles on sale all over the world have been marketed as high value propositions, the Denza brand, on the other hand, primarily competes against brands at significantly higher price points: Think automobiles by former partners Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Tesla, Audi, and other brands of such premium calibre.
And now, for the first time ever, the brand is also available in Malaysia through its high-end people carrier EV offering, the Denza D9!
At the BYD & Denza Malaysia Roadshow held at The Exchange in TRX, two variants of the premium ‘777’ people mover – yes, the brand promises plenty of space to enable comfortable seating for seven adults, plus room for up to seven pieces of luggage and seven business briefcases – were introduced to the Malaysian public.
First up, the Advanced front-wheel drive (FWD) model has a single electric motor driving the front wheels while making 313 PS (230 kW) and 360 Nm of torque. Sure, that sounds plenty, but due to the 2,764 kg kerb weight, it takes 9.5 seconds for this rather large vehicle to get from zero to 100 km/h.
Then, there’s also the Premium all-wheel (AWD) drive version which packs another motor to power the rear wheels, churning out an extra 61 PS and 110 Nm. This gives a total system output of 374 PS and 470 Nm. Yet, even though its kerb weight goes up to 2,865 kg, this 4×4 model cuts out two and a half seconds off the former’s century sprint time, which it completes in 6.9 seconds!
Juicing up both versions is the massive 103.6 kWh Blade lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery that yields a WLTP-rated range of 520 km for the FWD and 480 km for the AWD. And if one charges it at the max 166 kW DC, expect to go from 30% to 80% state of charge in just 30 minutes while recouping 150 km of range in 10 minutes. Just perfect for that cup of coffee while you wait…
Inside the massive cabin, the D9 Advanced has Nappa leather seats and a suede ceiling while the D9 Premium has premium leather upholstery for its seats together with fabric headlining. Both also get a built-in refrigerator with temperature adjustment via the 5.5-inch touch screens on the D9’s captain chairs. This is also where one adjusts the seats and control the air conditioner, music playback, power sliding doors, windows, sunroof, sunshade, both ambient and reading lights! There’s even an air cleaning system with a negative ion purifier and an electric tailgate.
As for safety and driver assistance equipment, this includes eight airbags and the usual raft of ADAS kit, including adaptive cruise control, AEB, front and rear collision warning, lane departure warning and lane keeping assist. Buyers may also choose from three exterior colour options of Arctic White, Cosmos Black and Whale Sea Blue, along with two interior colour options of either beige or brown.
The Denza D9 Advanced comes with an on-the-road price price tag of RM 259,000, excluding insurance. Meanwhile, the Premium AWD is similarly priced at RM 309,000. There’s also an eight year or 160,000 km mileage warranty for battery and up to eight years or 150,000 km coverage on its drive motor and motor controller.
The luxe people carrier also has a warranty of up to six years or 150,000 km, while its battery pack comes with an eight years or 160,000 km mileage warranty, and up to eight years or 150,000 km guarantee for its drive motor and motor controller.
Now how about that for absolute peace of mind, eh?
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