BYD’s premium brand Denza launches two SUVs in China

Denza, BYD’s premium branch and joint venture with Mercedes-Benz, is launching two new SUVs back-to-back for the Chinese market. The first is an electric SUV called N7, which should fight against the Tesla Model Y thanks to a 91,4-kWh battery and up to 700 km of range (Chinese CLTC standard). The second is the N8, a larger, plug-in hybrid SUV that can seat up to seven passengers.

BYD is gearing up in China. Noncontent of being one of the dominators of the worldwide electric car market, the carmaker wants to push for the premium segment.

Its weapon of choice is Denza, a brand born out of a joint venture with Mercedes-Benz dating back to 2010, of which the German carmaker owns 10% after a significant share-reduction scheme.

N7 first

After that reshuffle, Denza started afresh with the D9, a sizeable hybrid MPV. At the 2023 Shanghai Motor Show, the brand showcased its new model, the N7. This SUV, shaped like a shooting brake, is a fully electric model and sits on BYD’s e-Platorm 3.0, already used by the BYD Atto3, Dolphin, and Seal.

Currently, the N7 is only available in China, and deliveries have started at the end of July. With a sizeable 91,4-kWh battery, the N7 presents an impressive range of 703 km. However, this homologation is done with the particularly lenient CLTC (China Light Duty Vehicle Test Cycle).

In China, the N7 starts at RMB 301 800 (€38 105,09 at the time of writing), which puts it in the same ballpark as its largest competitor, the Tesla Model Y.

N8, but hybrid

Strangely, the third model launched by Denza is a plug-in hybrid SUV. BYD’s premium branch doesn’t make it easy to understand. It states that the N8 is powered by two electric motors of 160 and 200 kW and a blade-battery pack of 45,8 kWh.

Only when announcing a “full range of 1 030 km with a full tank of fuel” can we assume the plug-in hybrid part. On that note, the EV range of this new N8 is an impressive 216 km, this time calculated with the NEDC homologation. Why make things easy?

Anyway, the new N8 is Denza’s flagship model. Measuring 4,9 meters and with a wheelbase of 2,83 m, it’s slightly larger than the biggest BYD SUV, the Tang. Inside, the Denza N8 presents numerous premium and comfort features and can seat up to seven passengers. There’s a six-seater version with two captain chairs on the second row for even more comfort.

China-only?

Despite being born out of a joint venture with Mercedes-Benz, then known as Daimler, it seems unlikely for Denza to even breach the European market with the N8 plug-in hybrid SUV. That being said, nothing is set in stone for the electric N7.