When it comes to cars, no one should be unfamiliar with BBA, in which the first “B” stands for Benz, the pioneer in the automotive industry. BYD, the leader in global new energy vehicles, had its self-developed lithium iron phosphate battery-powered E6 used as a taxi in Shenzhen as early as 2011, which proves BYD’s achievements in the field of new energy vehicles. Combining the design of Benz with the platform and power technology of BYD results in DENZA.
To be honest, I had only heard of this brand before I picked up the car. I had never driven it, never ridden in it, and hardly ever seen it on the road. The first time I saw it, I felt that the entire car was very large and luxurious, with no edges on the side and all very rounded, reminiscent of Benz.
Looking at the front, the designer ingeniously placed the air intakes on both sides, giving the feeling of a pure electric new energy vehicle without an engine. A white light strip runs through the left and right headlights and has strong recognition in the dark.
Moving to the side, a row of familiar English catches the eye: Styled By Mercedes-Benz. The official translation of this sentence by Mercedes-Benz is “Mercedes-Benz style,” which is abstract and difficult to understand at first glance, but probably means the Mercedes-Benz style with content.
The rear design echoes the front, with a light strip running through the left and right sides. Beneath it is the DENZA logo and a super large “X.” Underneath the X is also a row of small text that reminds the following car that this is a PERFORMANCE vehicle. The lower right corner also features the design and hybrid logo of Benz.
Moving to the interior, a strong Benz scent greets you. Circular air conditioning vents, the shift panel in the center, seat adjustment buttons on the door, and “Styled By Mercedes-Benz” on the passenger side, all constantly remind you that this car is designed by Benz.
Press the one-click start button to start the vehicle, and you can hardly hear any noise. The engine of the car does not start when there is electricity, so it runs quietly. Thanks to the fact that the electric motor only needs 4.3 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h, I drove on the G7 and the Sixth Ring Road with a full charge in Beijing’s Xierqi. Perhaps it was because I turned on the air conditioner and drove at high speed, and after about 60 kilometers, I heard the sound of the engine starting due to low battery.
If there is a charging pile at home and the commuting distance is within 30 kilometers, the use cost per kilometer at the domestic rate of 0.5 yuan per degree is only a little over 0.1 yuan. Even if you cannot charge during long-distance travel, you can always refuel to replenish the range.
When I test drove the Model 3 before, I was deeply impressed by the assisted driving function. Therefore, before I picked up this car, I specially learned about its assisted driving function on the official website of TSLA China.
The car is equipped with ACC adaptive cruise control, which can automatically follow the car without hands on the steering wheel on the Beijing Ring Expressway, and the sensitivity is also very high. On the road with clear lane lines, the lane keeping function can also be activated. However, the identification of turning on and off the lane keeping function is extremely inconspicuous, only a yellow border on the dashboard. Often, the lane keeping function has been turned off without noticing it during driving. If there are subsequent OTA optimizations for assisted driving function, driving this car will be more worry-free.
Finally, it must be said that the wheel hub of this car. After communicating with the manufacturer, it was found that in order to unify the smooth lines of the body during the design, the edge of the wheel hub has a curvature that bends outward, which is easily scratched by speed bumps on narrow roads. Extra care is needed during driving.
This car has the appearance, interior, and touch of Mercedes-Benz, as well as the range, power, and functions of BYD. It perfectly combines the strengths of the two automakers. Who wouldn’t like such a hybrid car?
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.