Denza arrives in Europe: BYD launches the premium brand with the Z9 GT

Gareth Wainwright • June 06, 2026 15:47

After a 2024 in which it established itself as the world’s fourth-largest manufacturer, BYD is now trying a new route in Europe by launching Denza, its premium brand.

Denza (BYD) and its premium push in Europe

Although Denza is only now making its way to Europe, it is not a newcomer to these pages: the brand was first shown publicly to the European market at last year’s Geneva Motor Show.

At the time, the premium marque revealed two vehicles: the Denza N7, a range-topping crossover, and the Denza D9, an MPV offered as either a fully electric model or a plug-in hybrid, with a 2+2+3 seating layout.

Denza Z9 GT: the first European launch model

Even so, Denza’s European launch will not be led by either of those models. Instead, it will begin with a fully electric version of the Z9 GT, a shooting brake aimed at rivals such as the Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo.

In its flagship configuration, the Z9 GT is a “monster”, pairing three electric motors with headline figures of 710 kW (965 cv) and 1355 Nm. Only later will the D9 arrive on the market.

“O objetivo é tornar a Denza uma marca totalmente premium“, said Alfredo Altavilla, BYD’s special adviser for Europe. “Vai antecipar muitas funcionalidades tecnológicas, que mais tarde vão aparecer noutros modelos da BYD”, he concluded.

When is it arriving?

According to Reuters, Denza is expected to officially reach the market towards the end of this year. Looking ahead, beyond the Z9 GT and the D9, two additional SUVs are expected to be added to the line-up. In 2026, a plug-in hybrid variant of the Z9 GT will be introduced. Pricing has not yet been announced.

The cars will be built in China and exported to Europe. At present, Denza accounts for around 3% of BYD’s total sales.

Denza’s origins: from Mercedes-Benz joint venture to full BYD control

It is worth recalling that Denza was created in 2011 as a joint venture between BYD and Mercedes-Benz. However, last year the German brand chose to exit, handing full control to BYD. Now, Denza is entering the European market to take on brands such as… Mercedes-Benz.