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BYD’s emerging luxury spin-off sees its new electric super wagon – which, in Europe, starts from the equivalent of $160,000 – as a way of showing what it can do, not setting the sales charts alight.
Electric Cars
The Denza Z9 GT large electric wagon is likely to be one of the most expensive Chinese-made cars when it goes on sale in Australia later this year with an anticipated price tag above $100,000.
Demand for extra-large luxury cars – especially wagons – is slim in Australia, with just 348 vehicles in the category occupied by the Porsche Panamera, Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7 Series reported as sold last year.
The BYD luxury division is well aware the 850kW Z9 GT will not be a top seller, and says it is pitched as a 'halo' vehicle to show the performance and technology its brand can offer.
"Yes, you're right [the category is small]. I would like to be competitive with the other vehicles in that grand touring segment, which is not tens of thousands, [it's] probably less than a thousand," Denza Australia chief operating officer Mark Harland told Drive.
"But we'll have to see where the segment goes, right? I mean, as we have with BYD and where we're going with B5 and B8, we think we can actually drive that segment, but first, I need to build awareness.
"The volume for our brand in 2026 continues to be B5 and B8 [four-wheel-drive SUVs]. Z9 GT is that halo vehicle that will bring in, obviously, a smaller number of customers."
Pricing for the Denza Z9 GT – a tri-motor, all-wheel-drive electric wagon with the footprint of an S-Class, and a size bigger than a Porsche Taycan or BMW i5 wagon – is yet to be confirmed.
In Europe, it is priced from €117,500 (AUD$191,000), about 10 per cent more expensive than a BMW i5 M60 Touring electric wagon that sells for $219,900 plus on-road costs in Australia, or about $190,000 once Luxury Car Tax is subtracted.
In China, the Z9 GT is far more affordable, a top-of-the-range version with three motors and all-wheel drive listed at 369,800 yuan, or AUD$75,000 via a direct currency conversion.
It is common for cars from Chinese brands to be much cheaper at home than in export markets, due to not only the costs of shipping, but the level of competition in China that has led to a price war in the electric-car market.
Even when extrapolated from the price of a Denza B5 Leopard – $79,990 plus on-roads in Australia, or about 310,000 yuan for an equivalently-specified model in China – the Z9 GT could be listed from $100,000 before on-road costs.
Harland said such a price would be ambitious.
"We want to bring it in at a competitive level here. We haven't had the detailed discussions yet; that's going to happen closer to the time of launch. I want to make it as competitive as possible."
"... I don't have any guidance on that, but like I said, I want to bring this as make this as competitive as possible. Being under $100,000, I think, is going to be a pretty big stretch, but I can always ask [head office]."
The most expensive Chinese-branded car ever sold in Australia is the Zeekr 009 six-seat all-wheel-drive people mover, priced from $139,900 plus on-road costs.
The Denza line-up currently reaches $97,990 plus on-roads for the flagship B8 six-seat SUV.
The Denza line-up currently reaches $97,990 plus on-roads for the flagship B8 six-seat SUV, on par with a base-model Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series, which has conventional diesel power and less equipment.
Harland said the market will decide if Denza – which only commenced deliveries of the B5 earlier this year – can find success with a six-figure car.
"I think Australians will tell us that. I think they'll answer that with the cheque book. Certainly we're seeing the demand for the B5, the B8, which will start delivering in larger numbers now.
"The B5 in its segment in just two months, is the number two luxury large SUV. I expect B8 to be amongst the top two or three. So I think there will be demand."
The Denza executive pointed to a five-year pre-paid servicing package, as well as a guaranteed future value program, as measures to instil confidence in the brand and its long-term plans for the Australian market.
"I think we look at ourselves as we're changing the category, disrupting the category," said Harland.
"We're bringing this package of luxury, technology, fast charging at a price point that we think is going to be really competitive.
"And that's going to motivate buyers from both the bottom end – people that would stretch – and then people that would be coming from other luxury OEMs. That's the idea, we want to be that disruptor, and we want to bring people in from both sides."
Electric Cars Guide
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
