New Denza D9 DM-i is a luxury MPV Lexus LM rival that's headed for the UK
The luxury van class is about to get a new addition with some serious statistics
BYD is on the cusp of launching its high-end Denza brand in the UK with the Z9 GT, but the Chinese giant is wasting no time getting its second model ready. The D9 DM-i is a luxury MPV to rival the likes of the Lexus LM and forthcoming Mercedes VLE.
The D9 is already available in other markets in both pure electric and DM-i plug-in hybrid forms, but the latter will arrive in Europe and the UK to start with. Among the European-specific upgrades to the vehicle are a high-end Devialet stereo system with 16 speakers.
Denza has also confirmed that the MPV will have a 2-2-3 seating layout, with a second row of luxurious captain’s chairs and a traditional three-seat bench in the third row. There’ll still be plenty of space for luggage, though, because the boot will be able to squeeze in seven carry-on bags, plus backpacks for each of the car’s occupants.
The DM-i plug-in hybrid system uses a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, an electric motor and a battery pack, which Denza says will be capable of up to 130 miles on electric power alone on the European WLTP cycle. With a full battery and a full tank of fuel, the car can travel up to 589 miles, it’s claimed.
Specific technical information for European models hasn’t been revealed, but we do have information from the variants available in other countries. This suggests the plug-in hybrid’s battery pack is a 40kWh LFP unit, which together with two electric motors is capable of producing around 400bhp. Both front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive variants are available, the latter capable of hitting 62mph from rest in around 6.2 seconds.
The EV version is available in both single and dual-motor options, and packs a battery capacity of 103kWh; the car has a range of as much as 385 miles, although this figure is calculated using China’s NEDC testing process, which is less stringent than the WLTP cycle used in Europe.
No details about pricing or availability have been mentioned about the European-spec DM-i either. For context, the hybrid Lexus LM in six-seat form costs just shy of £100,000, and the price of Merc’s new all-electric VLE is expected to extend far beyond this. When the D9 eventually arrives, we expect it’ll substantially undercut these rivals.
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