BYD, a Chinese electric vehicle (EV) giant, has launched its premium Denza brand in Europe, aiming to compete with top-end German manufacturers such as BMW and Mercedes. The Denza brand will be the technological forerunner for BYD, introducing features that will later appear on its other brand cars. BYD sold over 4.2 million vehicles globally last year, with more than 90% sold in China. Denza sales accounted for just over 3% of the group’s total sales.
The Denza range will include an EV version of the 1,000 horsepower Z9 GT sport wagon, available from the end of this year, and a hybrid version in early 2026. The group has not disclosed the price of the first model, but it will exceed the highest car price in BYD’s current European range of 72,000 euros ($78,790). The Denza range will also include the D9 van, available from the end of this year, and two off-road vehicles could be added in the future.
The Denza models will be manufactured and exported from China, despite BYD planning to start production at its first European plant in Hungary in October and a second site in Turkey expected to come online in March 2026. The two European plants will have a total production capacity of 500,000 cars per year. BYD’s special adviser for Europe, Alfredo Altavilla, said the aim is to make Denza a full-liner premium brand, targeting both traditional premium clients and younger customers who have a particular interest in technology.