Denza arrives in India: D9 electric MPV at ₹90 lakh, 1,156 PS Z9 GT shooting brake at ₹1.56 crore
BYD's luxury brand Denza has entered India with the D9 electric MPV at ₹90 lakh and the Z9 GT shooting brake at ₹1.56 crore (ex-showroom), sold through dedicated Denza dealerships.
BYD has finally brought its luxury badge to India. Denza has launched two all-electric models here: the D9, a seven-seat luxury MPV priced at ₹90 lakh, and the Z9 GT, a 1,156 PS shooting brake priced at ₹1.56 crore (both ex-showroom; prices vary by state). Each comes in a single, fully loaded version, and bookings are open at Denza dealerships with a token amount of ₹10 lakh.
If the name is new to you, here is the short version. Denza started life in 2010 as a joint venture between BYD and Mercedes-Benz, and BYD has owned it outright since Mercedes sold its stake. In India it sits above BYD's own range, which means it is aimed squarely at people who have been eyeing a Toyota Vellfire or a Porsche Taycan.
Denza D9: a lounge on wheels
The D9 is the sensible one, if a ₹90 lakh van can ever be called sensible. It is more than 5.2 metres long, seats seven in three rows, and gets powered sliding rear doors, 18-inch alloy wheels and a panoramic glass roof. The second row is the place to be: two individual captain's seats that are designed to make the chauffeur-driven crowd very happy.
Power comes from a single front motor making 462 PS and 365 Nm, fed by a 115.07 kWh battery. Inside, there is a 15.6-inch touchscreen with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a 10.25-inch digital driver's display and three-zone climate control. Safety covers nine airbags, a 360-degree camera, ISOFIX mounts, tyre-pressure monitoring and a Level 2 ADAS suite.
Denza Z9 GT: the headline act
The Z9 GT is the car that will get the attention, and it has earned it on paper. Three electric motors – one at the front, two at the rear – make a combined 1,156 PS and 1,210 Nm and drive all four wheels. The claimed 0–100 km/h time is 2.7 seconds, and the 122.49 kWh battery is rated for up to 670 km on the NEDC cycle.
It also has a party trick or two. Rear-wheel steering lets it crab-walk sideways and spin on the spot in what Denza calls a compass turn – handy in a tight basement parking. The cabin gets three screens (a 17.3-inch central touchscreen, a 13.2-inch passenger display and a 13.2-inch driver's display), a 20-speaker Devialet sound system, four-zone climate control and ventilated, massaging seats. It rides on 20-inch alloys and seats five.
How it stacks up in India
Both cars arrive in crowded company. The D9 goes up against the Toyota Vellfire and sits above the MG M9 electric MPV, which is the closest thing to it on price and purpose. The Z9 GT is pitched against electric luxury heavyweights such as the Porsche Taycan, the BMW i7 and the Mercedes-Benz EQS, but it has one thing none of them can claim: it is the only shooting brake on sale in India right now.
- Denza D9: ₹90 lakh, seven seats, 462 PS, 115.07 kWh battery
- Denza Z9 GT: ₹1.56 crore, five seats, 1,156 PS, 122.49 kWh battery, up to 670 km (NEDC)
- Bookings: ₹10 lakh token at Denza dealerships
Delivery dates and the full dealer list have not been announced yet, so check with your nearest Denza outlet before you start measuring the garage.
The FHM take
The D9 is a clever, comfortable rival to the Vellfire, but the Z9 GT is the real statement – more power than most supercars, a body style nobody else sells here, and a price that undercuts the German flagships. The question is whether India's luxury buyers will pay crore-plus money for a badge they have never heard of. Our guess: the ones who drive one first will be the ones telling everyone else.
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