Author: Rezz
With the policy of second and third children being allowed in China, the domestic market for family MPVs, which has been lukewarm in the past, has gradually heated up in the past two years. The emergence of several new or redesigned joint venture MPV models in the market since last year is the best proof. More importantly, this phenomenon also indicates that this sub-segment of the market will have a good development prospect.
Since such a large “cake” is right in front of us, how could our Chinese brands ignore it? It is reported that many Chinese brands have expressed that they will launch their own new MPV models this year, including high-end products. On May 16th, the first medium to large-sized high-end MPV from the DENZA brand – the DENZA D9 – officially started global presale.
The presale price has already been announced, with a range of 3.35-6.6 million yuan. For the DM-i hybrid version, the presale price is from 3.35 million to 4.45 million yuan; for the pure electric version, the presale price is from 3.9 million to 4.6 million yuan; and the four-seater founder’s edition with a limited quantity of 99 is priced at 6.6 million yuan. The DENZA D9 provides two power options (DM-i Super Hybrid and EV pure electric), with four-wheel drive or two-wheel drive optional. The 50km endurance version uses an 11kWh blade battery, the 190km endurance version uses a 40kWh blade battery, and the pure electric version uses a 103kWh blade battery.
Since the “Equity Restructuring” at the beginning of the year, DENZA Motors will be separated from Mercedes-Benz’s sales system but will not enter BYD’s sales system. Instead, it will exist as an independent high-end brand. The D9 is DENZA’s first new car after the “Equity Restructuring,” and it is also the brand’s first MPV.
The new DENZA brand will focus on intelligence, safety, new luxury, and user ecology. In the future, both the DM-i Super Hybrid version that emphasizes fuel consumption and the DM-p Super Power version that emphasizes performance will appear on the DENZA brand. DENZA will use a combination of online and offline independent sales channels, and will complete the construction of 200 offline stores covering 68 cities this year.
The DENZA family will have five major product series: D, E, N, Z, and A. It is revealed that DENZA will launch a medium-sized SUV as early as the third quarter. It will lead the industry in appearance, intelligence, interior space, endurance, and cockpit, continuing to expand the brand’s resurrection.
As DENZA’s current top-selling model, even more expensive than many joint venture MPVs of the same level, what gives DENZA Motors such confidence? What is its competitive strength? And can it become the “ceiling” or benchmark of Chinese brand MPVs? Let me reveal all of these to you.
Exterior
In terms of exterior design, the new car has a business-oriented appearance, with a similar style to the Toyota Alphard. The large front grille of the new car is the most core part of the entire front, connected to the front headlights. The chrome under the headlights is connected to the front grille and extends to the fog lights, forming a C-shaped structure. The exaggerated air intakes on both sides of the fog lights are presented, highlighting the atmosphere of the entire front.
On the side, the entire body is slender, and a three-dimensional waistline carves out the dynamic side of the body. The size of the side windows is moderate, and the passengers inside the car will have a good view. The front and rear integrated door handles have a stronger overall feel, and the double-sided electric sliding door reflects the luxury of the high-end MPV. The new car is equipped with 19-inch multi-spoke wheels, with a length, width, and height of 5250mm/1960mm/1920mm, and a wheelbase of 3110mm.
In terms of size, although the DENZA D9 is not as excellent as the Dreamer in terms of body dimensions, it is the tallest among the competing models. It looks very domineering and has a business-like atmosphere from the front and back angles.
At the rear of the vehicle, it looks relatively clean overall, but it is not flat. The rear door of the luggage compartment is divided into two by the extension line of the waistline, and the bottom of the rear window is a through-type taillight. When the taillights are turned on, it can show a unique visual pattern.
Interior Cabin
In terms of interior design, there are some marks of BYD, such as the square central control screen and the familiar gearbox shift area. The 15.6-inch central control screen is equipped with DENZA Link super intelligent interaction, with a clean and refreshing interface layout, and there are quick function buttons for menus in the upper, lower, and right parts of the interface. The system includes a variety of App applications.
At the same time, there is DENZA SHARE multi-screen sharing, 10 scene modes, custom exclusive cabins, custom game car modes, OTA upgrades, and so on. The 10.25-inch full LCD instrument panel is integrated with the entire central console, and the symmetrical feeling on the left and right is stronger. The entire central console has a sense of hierarchy, and each layer is composed of different materials, including a friendly wood grain and elegant piano paint. The atmosphere lights divide the space between each layer.
The steering wheel of the Qin Plus EV is also well-crafted, with a symmetrical design that is not overly decorated yet not too simple. Like many other BYD models, the shift lever surrounding is labeled with Chinese characters, and the crystal gear lever shows a sense of delicacy. The surrounding function buttons include electric sliding doors, electric tailgate, lane keeping, lane changing assistance, driving modes, air conditioning shortcuts, multimedia system volume, and more.
The wooden texture and leather pattern details on the car doors showcase the luxurious interior of the new car. In addition, the entire series is equipped with a 14-speaker Denon brand audio system, refrigerator, electric tray and cup holder, 128-color active fragrance atmosphere, negative ion generator, and PM2.5 green purification system.
Moving on to the second row, the entire series comes with two independent luxury airline seats with leather seats that not only have diamond-shaped patterns but headrests with good wrapability. Each seat armrest has an independent control area composed of an LCD screen that can adjust and massage electric seats and also control the multimedia system.
In addition, there is an independent multimedia system in front of each seat in the second row, which can also control the air conditioning system, play entertainment programs, and have an independent camera for video conferences. At the same time, the back of the front seats also creates a beautiful ambient lighting effect. The central area of the two rear seats provides two layers of storage boxes, which, although not large, can still meet certain needs.
The new car sets up air vents on both sides of the second and third-row headliners. The D9 is equipped with a double sunroof with double electric sunshades and one-touch switches, double-sided electric sliding doors, and four double-layered soundproof glass, further enhancing the riding comfort. Both sides of the third-row seats also have armrests, and all three seats have headrests to ensure a certain level of comfort.
PowerThe new car will have two power options, pure electric and plug-in hybrid, equipped with blade batteries. The pure electric model, CLTC, has a range of over 600 kilometers. The DM-i model is equipped with a powerful DM-i super hybrid system that includes a dedicated 1.5T turbocharged engine for plug-in hybrid vehicles, with a pure electric range of 190km for two-wheel drive models, NEDC range of 1040km, and a fuel consumption of 6.2L/100km in charging mode. The four-wheel drive version has a pure electric range of 180km, a NEDC range of 970km, and a fuel consumption of 6.7L/100km in charging mode.
The DENZA D9 DM-i four-wheel drive has an acceleration of slightly over 7 seconds per 100 km, while the EV version has an acceleration of slightly over 6 seconds per 100 km. In addition, it can achieve a fuel consumption of 6 liters per 100 km in charging mode, thanks to the latest BYD DM-i super hybrid system. The EV version also incorporates the latest e-platform 3.0 technology, including wide-range heat pump air conditioning system, blade batteries, and CTB chassis.
The DENZA D9 uses a front MacPherson strut and a rear multi-link suspension, and features the DiSus-C intelligent damping suspension, even in the entry-level model, with a variable damping electromagnetic suspension system (FSD).
The official explanation is that the standard suspension is sufficient for daily city driving, and the DENZA D9’s full-load ground clearance is only 14cm, with a distance of 39cm from the first step to the ground, which is already low enough to provide comfort when getting in and out of the vehicle. Finally, considering the space constraints of the third row, placing an air suspension would add another air tank in the rear, which may compromise passenger space for the third row. Therefore, the DiSus-C intelligent damping suspension system was chosen.
Personally, I think that having air suspension as a standard accessory for MPVs is a good thing, as evidenced by the revamping of the Mercedes-Benz V-Class, which suffered from poor driving quality, high noise level, and lack of elegance until air suspension was added in 2020, boosting its sales and reputation. However, it is important to note that if the vehicle frequently carries 7 passengers and luggage, air suspension will be subject to a significant load and may result in compromised stability, durability, and faster aging and wear. Therefore, it is understandable that DENZA chose to use FSD suspension and DiSus-C intelligent damping suspension to guarantee product longevity, stability, and peace of mind.
Background and Prospects:
In March 2010, BYD and Daimler signed a memorandum of understanding, with the two companies forming a 50:50 joint venture focused on electric vehicles and related components. The following year, “Shenzhen BYD Daimler New Technology Co., Ltd.” was established. In 2012, the DENZA brand was launched with the release of the first jointly developed model.“`
However, due to the single product and the sluggish electric car market at the time, the sales of the DENZA brand have been lukewarm, relying on two major brands for funding.
In July 2019, Beijing Benz officially took responsibility for DENZA’s partial business operations, including sales, marketing and brand communication, customer service, network development, etc. The DENZA brand models also officially appeared in Benz 4S stores, and finally in the same year, the new DENZA X was released.
In December 2021, the equity of DENZA was adjusted. After the adjustment, BYD and Daimler respectively held 90% and 10% of the shares of DENZA. BYD also invested more resources and core technology in DENZA’s business to help DENZA improve in product R&D, intelligent manufacturing, channel, and sales services. The DENZA D9 was released against this background.
At the press conference, Wang Chuanfu, Chairman of BYD Co., Ltd. also stated that in the future, DENZA will resolutely follow the luxury car route, and in BYD’s business sector, it will undertake compatible series of BYD’s imperial and marine series, and move up to connect with the upcoming high-end brand.
The DENZA brand is a joint venture company jointly invested by BYD and Daimler, with the current latest equity ratio of BYD holding 90% and Daimler holding 10%, positioning itself in the mid-to-high-end market. DENZA, starting over, aims at the MPV blue ocean market, and entering the market with differentiated products is undoubtedly a good strategy. At a time when overseas brands’ pure electric MPV models have not yet arrived, seizing the opportunity can be said to be a wise move.
Currently, there is still a lack of mid-to-high-end pure electric MPV models in the market, and the potential competitors are Voyah Dreamer, the upcoming Roewe iMAX8 EV, and Zeekr 002. Comparatively speaking, DENZA has the mature guarantee of BYD’s three-electric systems, and the technology in the car is relatively outstanding, showing the definition of luxury by BYD and Mercedes-Benz in the details. The Roewe iMAX8 EV with a price between 28-33 is aimed at cost-effectiveness, and the “Golden Spoon”-born Zeekr 002 is based on Geely’s Haohuan architecture, focusing on the quality of the chassis and the technology sense.
MPV has already shaken off the impression and experience of “van” in traditional concepts. With the layout of 2+2+3 seats and large space, a family can travel happily together. With the DM-i experience that “one section is stronger than six sections,” the DENZA D9 can be said to be full of sincerity and product power. As people in the automotive industry, we also hope to see more similar MPV products appear in the market, contributing to this subdivision market and bringing more choices to consumers.
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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.