If we review the history of the development of new energy in China, DENZA (GeometryAuto Auto, JH auto) is definitely one of the pioneers. In 2010, BYD and Mercedes-Benz jointly established DENZA, with a total investment of 300 million yuan. One is a rising new energy star, and the other is the best representative of luxury cars. The combination of the two was immediately highly anticipated by the world. Four years later, DENZA’s first car, DENZA 300, was launched with a battery capacity of 47.5 kWh and an NEDC range of 253 km. The starting price of this car was 369,000 yuan, and the price after new energy subsidies was 255,000 yuan. As we all know, despite the fact that the DENZA 300 was a long-range model in the market at that time, its ability in the new energy overall environment was not enough to make it a hit in the market, and DENZA’s first attempt failed.
In 2019, DENZA X, based on the second-generation BYD Tang, was launched. This time, Mercedes-Benz’s design team took the lead in the vehicle’s interior and exterior design, and also brought out Mercedes-Benz’s sales channels. The new car launched another attack on the high-end market with a starting price of 289,800 yuan. However, DENZA failed again for the second time.
Not until 2021 did Mercedes-Benz and BYD finally wake up from their disillusionment. The former reduced its stake to 10%, while the latter took up 90% of the majorbeam.
As they say, “make a vigorous effort once and then decline, and three times exhausted.” When most people heard that BYD was going to make a third attempt with the DENZA brand, they thought it was just another “the wolf is coming” situation, but when they heard that DENZA was going to make an MPV instead, they thought BYD was being stubborn.
However, after watching today’s press conference, we realized that D9 may be the biggest inspirational story in the auto industry this year.
Price & Three-electric Configuration
First, let’s talk about the most critical information released during the press conference. DENZA D9 comes in two power forms: hybrid and pure electric. The pre-sale prices for the hybrid version are as follows:
- DM-i 945 luxury 335,000 yuan;
- DM-i 1040 premium 375,000 yuan;
- DM-i 970 4WD premium 405,000 yuan;
- DM-i 970 4WD flagship 445,000 yuan.
The pre-sale price of the pure electric version is slightly more expensive:
- EV 600+ Prestige 390,000 yuan;
- EV 600+ 4WD flagship 460,000 yuan.
The CLTC range of the two pure electric models exceeds 600 km, but DENZA did not provide detailed parameters for the battery pack and power of the vehicles during the pre-sale press conference.
As the key model of the dual-power model, the DENZA D9 DM-i hybrid version will be equipped with a 1.5T engine and EHS 170 hybrid power system. According to the official description, the DM-i model will provide ultimate fuel economy performance, and the NEDC fuel consumption of the four versions of D9 are as follows:
- Luxury version 5.9 L
- Premium version 6.2 L
- Four-wheel drive premium version 6.7 L
- Four-wheel drive flagship version 6.7 L
In terms of batteries, the D9 DM-i model is equipped with a power-type blade battery for plug-in hybrid models. Except for the entry-level luxury version, the other three versions all support 80 kW DC fast charging. The corresponding NEDC pure electric range is 190/180/180 km.
The Most Important Business Ability of MPV: Large
The DENZA D9 is truly outstanding in appearance. The body size is: 5,250 × 1,960 × 1,920 mm, with a wheelbase of 3,110 mm. This data has surpassed the Toyota Sienna and Alphard, of which the most noteworthy is the 1,920 mm car height, which is nearly 70 mm higher than the Alphard, laying a good foundation for the overall interior space.
In terms of interior space, according to the official description, “all seven passengers can be well taken care of.”
As an MPV, the D9 adopts a 223-seat layout, with the second row equipped with two aviation seats with leg rests, which are well-equipped with ventilation, heating, massage, and sleeping headrests. The configuration is impeccable.
Because the aviation seats have a door-side armrest blocker, in order to facilitate the second-row passengers to get on and off, the travel distance of the D9’s second-row sliding rails reaches 1,080 mm and can be fully adjusted afterwards. If you look closely, you can also see a sloping mobile phone storage slot on the outside of the seat, I wonder if this is the 50 W wireless fast charging mentioned in the official configuration table.
## Interior & Exterior Both Score High
Black and White Interior: Back to Basics, It Should Have Been So Earlier
One of the notable features of D9’s interior is its BYD design: the familiar dual-spoke steering wheel, a floating center console, and a gear shifter with a pebble-shaped knob and a U-shaped console.
However, compared to its predecessor, D9’s interior design is more refined. It can be summed up in one sentence: eliminate complexity, simplify color.
BYD has removed the following design elements from D9:
- Dual-tone steering wheel
- Warm-tone contrasting seats
- Illuminated gear shifter
- Gloss black plastic outer rim with chrome plating
- Contrast stitching
- Fewer pure decorative lines
The Large Space and Three Rows of Seats Make MPV Standout
The large space and three rows of seats are the biggest advantages of MPV over large 7-seater SUV. DENZA D9 is aware of this and has made it its own strength.
In the launch event, the official expressed strong confidence that the large size of the aviation seat in the second row usually means that the layout of the third row space will be quite challenging. They stated that the cushion length and seat height have been considered for passenger comfort, and in this regard, they continue to quote the official saying that it “provides the largest third-row space in the same class.” In addition, D9’s third-row seats also use leather seats, and passengers here also have ambient lights and speakers.
When there are more people, the luggage is naturally easier to accumulate. Buick GL8’s long body provides it with considerable trunk space, which also becomes its major feature. With a vehicle length of 5,250 mm, D9’s trunk can hold 7 20-inch suitcases on the basis of abundant third-row space. It can be summarized in four words: suitable for business and household.
Space is the most important product strength of MPV, and D9’s space is currently very competitive. Not only is the passenger space large, but the storage space is also impressive. For users who have a strong demand for MPV space, they should already have the urge to place an order here.After removing the above contents, D9’s interior uses a versatile black and white combination, from the foggy silver decoration panel and dark wood panel in the center console, to the white leather glove box, and even to the seamless matching between a complete black central armrest without chrome plating. It is clearly made by an expert.
Meanwhile, another key design change in D9’s front row is the center console is designed in a symmetrical form, removing the bulge on the instrument panel, and thus achieving visual consistency.
Although overall D9’s design is still inferior to BYD’s, the consistency of the design theme, taste, and sense of luxury have indeed improved after the modification.
In terms of sound, D9 comes standard with a 14-speaker Danner sound system with 7.1 surround sound, which specifically prepares an exclusive mid-bass unit for the second-row passengers.
According to the introduction at the press conference, DENZA cooperates with the standard four-door double-layer soundproof glass, which can control the noise level of the vehicle below 65 decibels at 120 km/h, superior to the “certain classic MPV” and “certain Japanese luxury MPV” that everyone knows in the picture.
Exterior: Overall high score but with one shortcoming
In terms of exterior design, D9’s design level is similar to its interior performance. The shape is smooth overall, and in the current MPV market, it can be regarded as a high-scoring contender. Compared with previous BYD models, there is a visible improvement in the embellishment and color matching of the exterior, which is more restrained and more luxurious.
DENZA D9’s hybrid and electric versions adopt two different front-end styles. The grille of the plug-in hybrid version is open with horizontal stripes, while the electric version has a closed vertical grille.
From the coverage area of the grille decoration pattern relative to the grille, the covering rate of the scales pattern of the hybrid version is far higher than that of the vertical bars of the electric version, and the overall feeling of the former is better than the latter. Moreover, the combination of the electric version’s piano baking paint and chrome decoration is very eye-catching, and the visual impact is extremely strong, but it lacks harmony.The design on the side of the car is the best part of the D9’s appearance. The chrome-plated strips around the windows are just right, and the trapezoidal shape in the D-pillar area delineates a sharp tail window line, while the three straight lines on the D-pillar create the illusion of air passing by.
Regarding tire configuration, the entire D9 series is equipped with 235/35 R19 tires as standard, which is medium-sized. The tire model is also standard with a Continental ContiSportContact 5p.
Both sides of the DENZA D9 are equipped with electric doors. If you look closely, you will find that the sliding doors of the DENZA D9 are not integrated with the roof like traditional MPVs. Zhao Changjiang introduced that this “sliding door seam” design enhances the overall integrity of the five sides of the car, not only improving the visual beauty but also effectively reducing wind resistance. BYD’s attention to detail in this area is impressive and is one of the typical manifestations of the many highlights of the D9.
The DENZA D9 has double-sided electric sliding doors, and the top-of-the-line model’s UWB key can be linked to the electric doors, automatically opening when approached, and the seats are designed to move backward to greet passengers.
In such a business atmosphere, DENZA believes that there should be applause here, oh no, it’s music! Therefore, when passengers board the D9, a specially tuned “Ode to Joy” welcome sound effect will play. It sounded nice during the unveiling ceremony.
Overall, the D9’s exterior design is successful. Among all BYD models, the D9 is one of the few that does not have any major blemishes and even manages to impress with its details. Whether it’s the D-pillar design, wheel hub shape, or chrome embellishments, the previous habit of overdoing things has gradually evolved toward a more insightful approach.
If there is one thing to be dissatisfied with, it is that the D9’s design style and overall appearance still have a very strong “Elfa” resemblance. Although it is not as blatant as some models, it still falls short of the originality of other BYD models such as the Tang and Han.
Intelligence not exceptional, but the MPV as a whole is weak
Intelligent cockpit: multiple screens, voice control, and even a refrigerator
The increasingly fierce war of screens in the automotive industry entered a new stage in 2022, and now MPVs have been dragged into the battlefield. Including the optional HUD system, the D9 has a maximum of seven screens:
- 10.25-inch instrument panel
- 12-inch HUD
- Two 5.5-inch armrest screens on the rear seats.- Two 12.8-inch headrest screens in the backseat
- 15.6/17.3-inch center control screen
The highlight of the screen configuration here includes two points. The first is that BYD has removed the option to rotate the center console screen on the D9 and provided an option for the map to serve as a level-one background for the center console UI. This indicates that the BYD in-vehicle entertainment department has finally abandoned the strategy of using physical rotation to replace landscape adaptation for the center console interaction, and began to focus more on vehicle-infotainment interaction.
The second is that the headrest screens in the backseat not only have content sharing capabilities similar to those of the Mercedes-Benz rear seat screens, but also can select an 8-megapixel camera. For users who frequently sit in the second row and have video call demands, this will be a practical configuration. However, it is unknown whether the audio in the rear video call can support independent Bluetooth output like in the ideal ONE co-pilot screen. If this feature is available, the privacy of passengers during video calls will be better protected.
The third is that a model with a 17.3-inch 2.5k resolution and a co-pilot screen appeared at the D9 conference, but this model has not yet appeared in the configuration table released. According to the official Easter eggs before the end of the conference, these configurations may appear on the four-seater version of the car in the near future.
Beyond the screens, the D9’s voice system finally catches up with the industry mainstream, with four-audio-zone voice recognition, continuous conversation, and visible speaking as the three key functions standard in all models, which is significant for in-car interaction. However, the part still in doubt is the issue of response and recognition rate in voice experience. With 5G support, it shouldn’t be too bad in theory, but the information on the vehicle’s chips was not mentioned during the conference, and we can only hope that the computing power will not become a bottleneck in actual experience.
Moreover, the D9’s second row also features a built-in fridge, located on the second layer of the central armrest as marked in the picture. The official statement indicated that this layer has abundant space and can hold 8 bottles of water.
ADAS: There is progress, but the degree is unknown
Throughout the entire conference, the part about D9’s Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) was the most unclear information, and comparatively, it was the biggest regret for D9’s product strength this time.At the press conference, the official announced that the D9’s advanced driving assistance system would adopt a pre-embedded hardware, upgradable in a later stage. However, the detailed perception architecture of the system and the computing hardware for the advanced driving assistance of the new car were not introduced, and common keywords such as “LiDAR” and “high-performance chips” in the intelligent driving field in 2022 did not appear.
In terms of achievable functions, the D9’s performance is also very basic. The first three configurations of the DM-i version only have adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping in the driving function, and the four-wheel-drive top model has turning signal lane change.
Overall, intelligent driving is still a weak point for BYD vehicles. Although D9 has made some progress compared with previous models, the improvement in functions is not obvious, and its actual ability remains to be studied.
However, objectively speaking, the penetration of intelligent driving in the MPV market is not high. The market volume gained from GL8’s leading role in advanced driving assistance is not significant, and the shortcomings of D9 in this respect have limited impact on the original customers in this market.
In conclusion
In the first paragraph, we mentioned that D9 might be the most inspirational story in the automotive industry this year. Readers who do not understand this can review the development process of the DENZA brand.
From 2014 to 2021, the DENZA brand has accumulated losses of more than 5 billion yuan. In the recent months, BYD has continuously sold over 100,000 cars per month. In sharp contrast to the current hot sales situation of BYD, the DENZA brand has only sold over 20,000 cars in the past three years.
Starting with the DENZA 300, which used the Mercedes-Benz design with BYD responsible for the battery, and later the DENZA X, which used the BYD Tang design with Mercedes-Benz responsible for design optimization and halo bonus, the DENZA brand has never found its foothold in the high-end new energy market. In the bumpy road of DENZA, Tesla and new car companies have come to the fore, and NIO, also an independent brand, has delivered its 200,000th new car at an average transaction price of over 400,000 yuan. Compared with this, DENZA really got up early and went to bed late.
At the press conference, Wang Chuanfu made an important statement, and the most critical sentence was: “In the future, the DENZA brand will be led by BYD technology, with support provided by Mercedes-Benz.”
Starting from the success of the Han, BYD began to realize that it has the ability to compete in the high-end market, and this ability includes not only technology but also the appeal of its new energy brand in the domestic market.So we see that BYD and Mercedes have “gone their separate ways”, no longer believing in the aura of others and setting off on their own path to define “luxury” for themselves. Throughout the entire press conference, it was difficult to find any words related to Mercedes in the product section, almost all research and development and design was handled by BYD. Or to be more precise, it was handled by DENZA. DENZA has already established a dedicated team for marketing and products, as well as a brand new online store and direct sales channel. The same thing is happening with design, product thinking, software experience and user operations. For years, BYD has been learning from industry models in these segments, even though compared to its already successful competitors, BYD still has a long way to go. However, compared to DENZA in the past, its trend is undoubtedly much better. This is also the keyword for the changes of DENZA and BYD over the years: making up for shortcomings.
Even more aggressively, it feels like “learning from the barbarians to beat the barbarians”.
You can listen to Mercedes’ polite words. Nowadays, BYD holds 90% of DENZA’s shares, and has taken on greater responsibility as a result. The benefits and drawbacks of DENZA’s brand will have a greater correlation with BYD. DENZA D9 is the first step in the brand’s new phase, and DENZA plans to release a mid-size SUV and a compact SUV this year.
Finally, our old friend, car fan Sun Shaojun, analyzed the pre-sale situation of DENZA D9 after the press conference that night:
- In the first three hours, the store estimated about 15 orders were placed, and potential customers were satisfied with the price, leaving orders optimistically;
- 60% of the customer base is composed of companies and private enterprises for official use, and the proportion of DENZA, BYD and new energy vehicle owners who upgrade or switch to a new car is very high;
- From the feedback of the press conference, 80% of customers in cities with restricted license plates will choose DM-i, and 20% will choose pure electric DMI. As for configuration, for every 10 customers, 2 choose the low configuration of EV pure electric, 4 choose the two-wheel-drive luxury version of DM-i, and 4 choose the two-wheel-drive prestige version;
- Customers who come to the store are mainly targeting similar models such as Buick GL8 and Li ONE, while a small number of customers are targeting Alphard.
As the saying goes, one stroke brings momentum, but if we continue to decline, we will soon run out of energy. However, the press conference for Tensghi D9 announced in a peaceful tone: What’s done is done.
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.