At this year's Geneva exhibition, the Chinese manufacturers who took advantage of the Swiss exhibition to introduce new proposals to the public, some expected and some less expected, have their due.
In the category of the least expected, is the premiere of Denza, a subsidiary of BYD which initially, when it was first created in 2010, was a joint venture between the Chinese car manufacturer and the Daimler group at the time, but which has since, during the restructuring of the company in 2021, reduced the stake of to 10%.
Now BYD is introducing the Denza to the European public, presenting at the Swiss show the D9, a luxury passenger van that takes aim at proposals such as the recent, similarly styled Lexus LM. It should be noted that this is not a completely new model, developed for Europe, as the model is available in China from 2022. In Europe, the D9 will be available either as a pure electric drive or as a plug-in hybrid.
In this case, the D9 hides behind its squared-off silhouette three rows of adjustable seats in a 2+2+3 arrangement that are accessible via the electric side doors. It should be noted that depending on the choice of set, the Chinese luxury van is available with two different “looks” dominated by the different grille pattern. Its de facto equipment features include the presence of a panoramic sunroof which contributes to the sense of spaciousness of the passenger compartment.
While BYD isn't releasing more details about the Denza-badged van, it's worth noting that based on the version available in the Chinese market, the D9 is 5.25m long, 1.96m wide and 1 .92 m. while the generous wheelbase is 3.11 meters.
The luxury of the construction is underlined by the fully adjustable and, if the occasion calls for it, folding seats which benefit from a cooling/heating system as well as a massage function. In the middle row of seats, captain's chairs are used, while even the last row of seats has USB ports and a folding central armrest.
In addition to the standard screens for infotainment and the digital instrument panel, the D9 has additional screens for passengers to control various functions, adapted to the armrests of the second row of seats, while an entertainment system placed on the headrests of the respective passengers can be optionally selected. front seats. Its equipment image can be completed by a mini bar with a capacity of up to six bottles, as well as atmospheric LED lighting and a Dynaudio sound system.
It is worth noting that in China the plug-in hybrid version combines a 1.5-liter turbo engine with an electric motor and 20.4 or 40 kWh batteries with an output of 300 hp in a two-wheel drive configuration or in a four-wheel drive configuration that benefits from another electric motor on the rear axle which, in addition, increases the power to 407 hp.
The electric version is also available as a two-wheel drive or as a four-wheel drive with one or two electric motors and a power of 313 and 375 hp respectively. Both are equipped with a 103.4 kWh iron lithium ion battery that ensures a range of up to 620 km in the first case and up to 600 km in the second.
In addition to the luxury van, Denza is also presenting in Geneva an all-electric SUV called the N7, which is marketed as luxury, with adjustable air suspension, a panoramic sunroof, a dashboard that is entirely occupied by screens, and promises a range of 570 km and a recharging power of up to 230 kW.
The availability of Denza models in Europe is expected to start from the end of the year.