Remember the new face of the James Bond franchise? No, not Daniel Craig — BYD’s Denza Z9 GT. While most Chinese vehicles heading to Europe focused on being cheaper than the competition, the Denza Z9 GT brought a bit of luxury and performance to the battle of the brands. And it won’t be cheap.
The BYD Seal U was recently considered the best-selling hybrid vehicle in Europe, an SUV that beat Tesla by being cheaper while offering more of the same. This has been the safe play from China for a while, but the Denza Z9 GT represented a shift. Here was an impressive sports car that wasn’t boasting how cheap it was, but rather brought on Daniel Craig to show that it was worthy of being a Bond car. It has 1,140 horsepower, can charge to 97% in 9 minutes, has a 372-mile range, and can even crab walk into parking spaces. I know I’ve said I don’t care about these kinda records from EVs anymore, but I should add that it can also reach 60 miles per hour in 3 seconds.
In China, you get all that for $39,300. It’s insane. When I heard it was coming to Europe, I figured it would be an immediate no-brainer for anyone looking for a sports car. Imagine getting all that for just $40,000! Did I mention it can crab walk? However, BYD apparently has other plans for Europe that may ruin all the hype.
The Denza Z9 GT may not have a chance in Europe now that it’s $135,000
The BYD Denza Z9 GT will be sold in Europe for $134,500. That’s three times what it costs in China — and more than a Porsche 911 or a Lotus Emira. For a Chinese car. I’m not too sure it will carry the same intrigue it once had. While the Denza Z9 GT is no Chery Tiggo, it’s still a car from China — and those carry a lot of stigma, including safety, security, and quality concerns. I think Europeans were willing to overlook that to pay way less, but I don’t know if they’d risk it for a car that costs way more.
I’m not even too sure why BYD raised the price to that extreme. There are tariffs on importing Chinese EVs, of course, but they are just 10%, plus another 17% in duties on Chinese-built EVs. This would add about $10,500 to the vehicle’s price. And it would then make sense for BYD to add another, I don’t know, $20,000 to make a profit. This would make the Denza Z9 GT about $75,000. It’s nowhere near $134,500, but it would still be cheaper than a lot of sports cars, making it rather appealing.
However, BYD is not looking to undercut the competition this time. Instead of competing to be the cheapest option in its category, the Denza Z9 GT is meant to be on par with the competition. This is a prestigious model that BYD is hoping will appeal to a more wealthy market. A crowd that would normally buy an electric Porsche or BMW would hopefully find the Denza Z9 GT to be a worthy alternative.
I get it. It makes sense. It probably sucks to be known for being dirt cheap rather than making quality cars that are actually fun to drive. But I think it may be too late for this rebranding. Other countries, including European ones, want China’s cheap EVs. As new-car prices continue to rise, the appeal of China’s cost-effective alternatives has helped the brand gain ground, even when quality is questionable. Unfortunately, I think China dug itself into this hole that will be tough to climb out of, even with a 1,000-plus-horsepower vehicle.
With a reputation for being cheap, the BYD Denza Z9 GT could carry that stigma of being cheap as well. And nobody wants to buy a $130,000 car that could have poor build quality and a cheap interior. Either way, the group of consumers debating between a Porsche Panamera and a Denza Z9 GT is quite small, especially compared to the average buyers who want sub-$25,000 options. It’s tough to say who the Denza Z9 GT is for. Who is the target customer during a time when most people don’t want luxury EVs?
Either way, the BYD Denza Z9 GT is pretty neat. I think it’s an impressive car. But do I think it’s worth $135,000? That’s tough to say, but I’m leaning towards no.
