Denza D9

Denza’s (BYD premium sub-brand) long-awaited and highly-anticipated first model, the new Denza D9, officially launched in Malaysia.

A Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV), the luxury MPV (Multi-Purpose Vehicle) underpins BYD’s e-Platform 3.0 electric architecture and Blade Battery technology.

Fully-imported (CBU - China), available via Sime Motors (Denza Malaysia - distributor) are two variants (Advanced FWD - MYR 259,000, Premium AWD - MYR 309,000).

Prices (OTR, w/o insurance) cover vehicle (six years/150,000 KM), blade battery (eight years/160,000 KM), and drive unit (eight years/150,000 KM) warranties.

Included is an Early Bird Package (first 800 units - six years/120,000 KM complimentary service, 22 KW wallbox charger, and Denza neck/waist pillows and luggage set).

Exterior colours (Arctic White, Cosmos Black, Whale Sea Blue). Interior colours (Brown). Variant-specific interior colour (Beige - Whale Sea Blue - Premium AWD).

The new D9 has a symmetrically-curvy (buttonless) and tiered dashboard, linked to a high-rising-floating-wide (armrest, under-stowage) centre console.

Soft-/hard-touched (dash, steering wheel, centre console, door panels), it sees two dual-tone (Black-Brown, Black-Beige) colour schemes with contrast trims (Silver - Advanced FWD, Premium AWD/wood veneer - Premium AWD).

Filling-in the space are driver/central displays (dash-integrated - instrument cluster/floating - infotainment), roundly-angular air-con vents and ambient lighting (multi-colour).

Inclusively, the design is airy and non-cluttered, with accessibilities ergonomically-arranged (driver-oriented, user-friendly).

Installed is a 10.25-Inch HD LCD driver display (dash-integrated instrument cluster), incorporating a Windscreen Heads-Up Display (W-HUD).

The interior (seat layout - 2-2-3) sees leather (Advanced FWD) and Nappa leather (Premium AWD) upholsteries, in two single-tone (Brown, Beige) colour schemes.

The first-row gets electronic-powered (driver/passenger - eight-way-adjust, four-way-lumbar, massage - Premium AWD, ventilation, driver-memory) ergonomic seats.

The second-row gets electronic-powered (ten-way-adjust, four-way-lumbar, multi-way leg rest, massage, ventilation, memory, boss button) ergonomic captain seats.

The third row gets a manual-operated (button - four-way-adjust, one-touch easy entry/exit, 60:40 split-fold) bench (three-seater).

Included are headrests (multi-way-adjust, side support - first-row, second-row, third-row), armrests (first-row - centre console, second-row - multi-way-adjust, third-row - side panels), centre table (second-row - front seat-back fold-out - multi-angle-adjust), refrigerator (second-row - rear centre console - item reminder - cooling/heating), dual LCD screen (second-row centre armrests - 5.5-Inch - multi-function control), headliner (knitted fabric - Advanced FWD, suede - Premium AWD), a glass sunroof (front - electric - open/tilt/slide, dark tint, heat/UV protect, sunshade), a panoramic glass sunroof (centre-rear - electric - open/tilt/slide, dark tint, heat/UV protect, sunshade), and textile floor mats (Black).

A people mover (MPV), the cabin (seven-seater - Advanced FWD, Premium AWD) offers generous space, providing ample interior mobility for the occupants (first-, second-, third-row).

Sufficient head-, shoulder-, and leg-room.

Mounted is a two-spoke-flat-bottom steering wheel, wrapped in leather (Black) with contrast trims (Silver). 

Features are multi-function (Bluetooth, Media, Voice Recognition, Vehicle settings), and column adjustments (tilt, telescopic).

Drive is aided by an Electric Power Steering (EPS) system.

Practical storage areas. E.g., side door/seat back pockets, centre console partitioned/caverned/retractable/under-stowage spaces, a glove box, refrigerator (item reminder - cooling/heating), and a hidden boot space (under-boot floor).

Provided are six cup holders (two - first-, second-, third-row), and six bottle holders (two - first-, second-, third-row).

Multiple power outlets. E.g., six USB ports (two - first-row, two - second-row, two - third-row), two 12 V sockets (first-row, boot), and two wireless chargers (first-row - single, second-row - dual).

Included is a Vehicle-To-Load (V2L - 3.3 KW) charging function, for powering of external appliances.

Accessing its electronic-powered (contactless - remote/key fob, button, sensor - memory, anti-pinch) tailgate, opens to 410-Litres (third-row seats up), 510-Litres (third-row seats down) and 2,310-Litres (second-, third-row seats down) of load capacities.

Weighing in at 2,764 KG (Advanced FWD, Premium AWD), the new D9 measures at 5,250 MM in length, 1,960 MM in width, 1,920 MM in height, and with a wheelbase spanning 3,110 MM.

Electrifyingly-elegant, it parades a largely-boxy exterior, emphasised by symmetrically-cut and roundly-angular flowing surfaces.

The front-end sees smoothly-sculpted bonnet/quarter panels and an upright bumper (π - Pi Motion grille, inward-V-like trim bars, side cut-outs, Denza emblem).

Accentuations, body trimmings (Silver - Denza emblem, grille, bar trims, side window surrounds, side mirror arms, side sills/Black - grille, side cut-out inserts, side mirror arms).

Cleanly-elegant, it continues the largely-boxy profile, emphasised by cleanly-cut surfaces and horizontally-symmetrical flowing lines.

The rear-end sees a straight roofline, a roof-edge spoiler, a shark fin antenna, tapered quarter panels, an upright tailgate (Denza script) and a seamless bumper.

Accentuations, body trimmings (Silver - Denza script, bumper trim bar, centre tailgate trim bar, sail-like D-pillar clad, side window surrounds/Black - tail lamp surround).

Large and boxy, the headlamps are framed angularly-inward-tilted with pointed edges. Installed are full LED units.

Features are automatic On/Off, LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL), turn signals (LED), Intelligent High Beam Control (IHBC), advance On/delay Off, cornering assist lights (LED), and intelligent sensor dynamic welcome lights (Premium AWD).

Sleek and symmetrical, the tail lamp (‘Arrow’ light graphic) is in a lightbar design, with pointed wrapped-around edges. Installed are full LED units.

Features are automatic On/Off, turn signals (LED), and welcome lights. Paired to the setup is a high-mounted stop light (LED - spoiler-integrated).

The side mirrors (triple-tone - Black-Silver-body-colour) are electronic-powered (auto-fold, adjust) with turn signals, blind-spot indicators (Blind Spot Detection - BSD), heating/defrosting, and memory.

Installed is a set of ventilated (front, rear) disc brakes, and the drive is aided by an Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) with Auto Brake Hold system and hydraulic brake boost/assist. 

Incorporated is a Coordinated Regenerative Braking System (CRBS), and an Intelligent Power Braking System.

Mounted is a set of 18-Inch (Advanced FWD, Premium AWD) multi-spoke (single-tone – Silver - Diamond-cut) alloy rims, wrapped in 235/60 R18 (front, rear) Michelin e-Primacy (Advanced FWD) and Continental PremiumContact C (Premium AWD) standard/silent self-repairing (Advanced FWD/Premium AWD) tyres.

The new D9 gets the following suite of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).

Grouped are Full-Speed Adaptive Cruise Control (F-ACC), Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), Rear Collision Warning (RCW), Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), Rear Cross Traffic Braking (RCTB), Lane Intelligent Pilot (LIP), Blind Spot Detection (BSD), Emergency Lane Keeping Assist (ELKA), Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR), Forward Traffic Crossing Alert (FTCA - Premium AWD), Forward Traffic Crossing Braking (FCTB - Premium AWD) and Smart Driving Surround View Camera (360-degree 3D transparent camera).

Other systems include Anti-lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Stability Program (ESP), Traction Control System (TCS), Electronic Traction Control (ETC), Electronic Brake Pre-Charging System (EBP), Controller Deceleration Parking (CDP), Vehicle Dynamic Control System (VDC), Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), Hill-Hold Control (HHC), Hill-Descent Control (HDC), Control System Traction (CST), Brake Disc Wiping System (BDW), Roll Movement Intervention (RMI), Door Opening Warning (DOW), Driver Fatigue Monitoring (DFM - Premium AWD), Driver Distraction Detection (DDD - Premium AWD) and Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).

Passive safety includes eight airbags (driver-passenger, front-rear sides, front-rear curtains), seatbelts (anchors, reminders, pre-tensioners), ISOFIX (four - second-, third-row), automatic doors (lock - speed-sensing, central-locking/closing - power suction/electric sliding), automatic wipers (rain-sensing, intermittent), high precision parking wave radar (three - Advanced FWD, five - Premium AWD), parking sensors (eight - four-front, four-rear - Advanced FWD/12 - six-front, six-rear - Premium AWD), parking cameras (reverse, 360-degree), door ajar warning, speed limiter, automatic headlamps (On/Off/low-/high-beam, cornering), anti-glare rear-view mirror (interior - live streaming - automatic/manual - Advanced FWD/Premium AWD), Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) with Auto Brake Hold system, emergency brake signal, and anti-theft system (alarm, engine immobiliser).

Four drive modes available (STANDARD, ECONOMY, SPORT, SNOW).

Installed is a 15.6-Inch ultra-HD touchscreen central display (floating infotainment - control unit).

Included are two 5.5-Inch touchscreens (second-row centre armrests - multi-function control - interior amenities).

The system supports Apple CarPlay/Android Auto (wireless), media, live navigation, Bluetooth, 5G/WiFi/WiFi hotspot, four-zone voice assistant (‘Hi Denza’), mobile app remote control (Denza App - Bluetooth key, NFC car key, cabin cooling, remote engine Start), app store, and Over-The-Air (OTA) updates.

Entertainment is channelled via a DYNAUDIO surround sound system (14 speakers).

The new D9 (Advanced FWD, Premium AWD) underpins variant-specific e-powertrain setups (BEV).

Variant Advanced FWD nestles a single-electric-motor setup (Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor - PMSM - front-mounted), generating 230 KW/308 HP and 360 NM.

Variant Premium AWD nestles a dual-electric-motor setup (Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor - PMSM - front-rear-mounted), generating 230 KW/308 HP-360 NM (front) and 45 KW/60 HP-110 NM (rear).

Total system output (front-rear e-motors) reads at 275 KW/369 HP and 470 NM.

Merged to the setup is a single-speed automatic transmission (Smart Electronic Shift).

Power is transmitted to the front wheels (Advanced FWD) and to all four wheels (Premium AWD), via a Front-Wheel Drive (FWD) system and an All-Wheel Drive (AWD) system.

0 to 100 KM/H acceleration is done in 9.5 seconds (Advanced FWD) and 6.9 seconds (Premium AWD). 

Juicing-up the e-motors is BYD’s Blade Battery technology, featuring a Blade Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery (103.6 KWH - Advanced FWD, Premium AWD), providing a total driving range (NEDC) of 600 KM (Advanced FWD) and 580 KM (Premium AWD).

DC charging (CCS2 - 166 KW) takes 30 minutes for a 30% to 80% State of Charge (SoC). AC charging (11 KW - Type 2).

Included is a Vehicle-To-Load (V2L - 3.3 KW) charging function, for powering of external appliances.

The new D9 features these conveniences.

E.g., keyless entry (engine Start/Stop button, Denza App - NFC car key/Bluetooth key/ cabin cooling/remote engine Start, electric doors - power suction front/electric-sliding rear), electronic-powered (contactless - remote/key fob, button, sensor - anti-pinch, memory) tailgate, automatic headlamps (On/Off/low-/high-beam, cornering), automatic wipers (rain-sensing, intermittent), anti-glare rear-view mirror (interior - live streaming - automatic/manual - Advanced FWD/Premium AWD), emergency brake signal, automatic door locks (speed-sensing, central-locking), steering wheel (multi-function, column adjustments, EPS), Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) with Auto Brake Hold system, Blind Spot Detection (BSD), high precision parking wave radar (three - Advanced FWD, five - Premium AWD), parking sensors (eight - four-front, four-rear - Advanced FWD/12 - six-front, six-rear - Premium AWD), parking cameras (reverse, 360-degree), door ajar warning, electronic-powered (first-row - driver/passenger - eight-way-adjust, four-way-lumbar, massage - Premium AWD, ventilation, driver-memory) ergonomic seats, electronic-powered (second-row - ten-way-adjust, four-way-lumbar, multi-way leg rest, massage, ventilation, memory, boss button) ergonomic captain seats, manual-operated (third-row - button - four-way-adjust, one-touch easy entry/exit, 60:40 split-fold) bench (three-seater), headrests (multi-way-adjust, side support - first-row, second-row, third-row), armrests (first-row - centre console, second-row - multi-way-adjust, third-row - side panels), centre table (second-row - front seat-back fold-out - multi-angle-adjust), refrigerator (second-row - rear centre console - item reminder - cooling/heating), dual LCD screen (second-row centre armrests - 5.5-Inch - multi-function control), headliner (knitted fabric - Advanced FWD, suede - Premium AWD), a glass sunroof (front - electric - open/tilt/slide, dark tint, heat/UV protect, sunshade), a panoramic glass sunroof (centre-rear - electric - open/tilt/slide, dark tint, heat/UV protect, sunshade), infotainment (15.6-Inch ultra-HD touchscreen central display, two 5.5-Inch second-row centre armrests touchscreens, four-zone voice assistant - ‘Hi Denza’, mobile app remote control - Denza App, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto - wireless), triple-zone Electronic Climate Control (ECC - individual rear air vents, CN95/PM2.5 air filters, negative ion purifier), interior lighting (ambient, foot, rear door welcome, reading, boot), wireless chargers (front, rear), multiple USB ports, Vehicle-To-Load (V2L - 3.3 KW) charging, and Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (D-TPMS).

Installed is a triple-zone Electronic Climate Control (ECC - individual rear air vents, CN95/PM2.5 air filters, negative ion purifier) system. 

Included are two 5.5-Inch touchscreens (second-row centre armrests - multi-function control - interior amenities).

Propping-up the chassis is a suspension setup consisting of Macpherson Strut (front) and multi-link (rear).

Incorporated is a Frequency Selective Damping (FSD) suspension system (Advanced FWD) and DiSus-C Intelligent Damping suspension system (Premium AWD).

Ride comfortability feels flexible and firm at the same time. The e-vehicle delivers a connected steering feel, with linear and balanced weighing at all speeds. 

Overall, it is spacious and comfortable, and the ride quality is satisfactory. Safe and suitable for a daily driver.

Good sound insulation, covering all the NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) aspects. The cabin is serene, with the tyre, road and wind noises mostly hindered. 

Included are acoustic glasses (double layer-sound insulating - glass roof, side windows, windscreens).

The new Denza D9 exudes an electrifyingly-modern outlook. Its elegantly-boxy and symmetrically-seamless body contours just speak electric.

Interior-wise, its shell envelopes a tech-savvy cockpit, featuring advanced connectivity, safety systems and creature comfort features.

Ultimately, the build quality is excellent, and with its distinctive outlook and energising powertrain, the new D9 is surely an e-MPV to consider.