Denza Z9 GT vs. NIO ET5T: Battle of High-Performance SUVs

BYD-Backed Denza Launches Z9 GT: Special Offer and Advanced Technologies

On September 20th, BYD backed Denza announced the official launch of its Denza Z9 GT, with a short-time special offer of 334,800 yuan (approximately 4,700 USD).  

Denza Z9 GT Variants and Pricing

The Denza Z9 GT is offering 7 variants in two power types: PHEV and BEV.

- PHEV models comes in three variants, pricing at 334,800 yuan, 364,800yuan, and 414,800 yuan, respectively;

- BEV models include two variants pricing at 354,800 yuan and 384,800 yuan;

- Two PHEV First Edition models price at 364,800 yuan and 414,800 yuan.

Yisanfang Technology: A Technological Marvel

One of the selling point of the car is its capability of driving steadily at a speed of 140km/h even with a flat tire. How does this happen? Thanks to BYD’s Yisanfang technology. According to Denza’s head of sales Zhao Changjiang, Yisanfang technology will become the exclusive technology for use Denza brand.

The Yisanfang technology consists of four core technologies: tri-motor independent drive, independent steering at rear-wheels, VMC vehicle motion control, and CTB battery body integration. The Yisanfang technology achieves several functions that never ever appeared on any other vehicles, such as, making a compass turn, high-speed tire blowout stable control, a "crab-walking" angle of 15 degrees, a minimum turning radius of 4.62 meters.

Zhao revealed that BYD invested 5 billion yuan in the research and development on the Yisanfang technology over 5 years, with efforts from over 6000 engineers, and 2.3 million kilometers of test driving.

Denza Z9 GT vs. NIO ET5T: A Fierce Competition

The Denza Z9 GT is a strong competitor to the NIO ET5T. The two vehicles are evenly matched.

-        Exterior Design

The Denza Z9 GT shows a strong sense of sports. In contrast, the ET5T is more simple and smooth, reflecting a tech-savvy vibe.

-        Power Performance

The ET5T offers dual motor drive for all variants, boosting a power output of 490 hp, and achieving a 0 to 100 km/h acceleration rate of 3.75 seconds. The Denza Z9 GT adopts a three-motor layout, with a power output of 966 hp, and an accelerating from 0 to 100 kilometers in only 3.4 seconds.

-        Space

The Denza Z9 GT measures 5.18 meters in length, with a wheelbase of 3.125 meters, slightly larger than the ET5T, which is 4.79 meters long.

-        Price

The BEV variants of the Denza Z9 GT are priced at 354,800 yuan and 384,800 yuan, while the price of the ET5T is between 298,000 and 356,000 yuan.

Market Impact and Early Response

From the public information, Denza was originally a brand jointly established by Mercedes-Benz and BYD in 2010, with both parties initially holding 50% of the shares. Subsequently, BYD increased its stake in Denza to 90%. Recently, Mercedes-Benz withdrew its 10% stake to BYD officially. Since then, Denza became a wholly-owned subsidiary of BYD.

On September 22nd, Denza announced on its official Weibo account that the brand has received 500 form order in 36 hours after its launch.