India’s List Of Luxury Carmakers To Expand Soon And It’s Another Chinese Brand

India is set to welcome another luxury carmaker in its long list of car brands soon. While Denza may sound new to you, it is essentially the luxury arm of Chinese automaker BYD. Denza has already confirmed that it’s about to set shop in India soon via a couple of posts on its India-specific social media handles. Here’s what you need to know about the new luxury carmaker:

Denza’s Social Media Announcement

The first teaser image posted on its India-specific social media handles features the brand’s blue and silver logo alongside an ‘Arriving Soon’ message, hinting at its plans to bring its premium electric vehicle lineup to the country.

That said, the announcement doesn’t reveal a launch date or the models that will be introduced here. We do believe, however, that Denza will begin its India innings with the D9 MPV.

What Is Denza And How Is It Related To BYD?

Denza was established in 2010 as a joint venture between BYD and Mercedes-Benz’s parent company, Daimler. BYD eventually took full ownership of the brand in 2014 and has since developed it as a premium, technology-focused marque. Its international portfolio includes luxury electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, with the D9 among its key models.

Its arrival would give BYD a separate brand to target buyers looking for a more luxurious experience than its existing India lineup offers. The D9 could hence be central to that strategy, particularly among buyers who prefer a chauffeur-driven MPV over a luxury SUV.

What You Can Expect From Denza D9

The Denza D9 is a large, 3-row luxury MPV measuring over 5.2 metres in length, having a 3.1 metre long wheelbase. Its cabin focuses on passenger comfort, with captain seats in the second row, along with seat ventilation and massage functions, and electric adjustment as well. Being a luxury offering, we do expect it to come with plenty of other bells and whistles as well, including multiple digital displays, creature comforts, and a well-rounded safety kit, including multiple advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).

Internationally, the D9 is offered in all-electric and plug-in hybrid guises. The former has a claimed range of up to 600 km on the NEDC cycle in some markets, while the latter combines a strong-hybrid setup with a petrol engine. That said, these powertrain options are market-specific and haven’t been confirmed for India as yet.

The D9 will be placed above the MG M9 and below the Toyota Vellfire in India’s luxury MPV space. We expect it to have a starting price of around Rs 1 crore (ex-showroom).