It’s no secret that Denza Philippines wants to establish its presence in the market, similarly to how its parent company, BYD Cars, was able to achieve. Denza is BYD’s premium arm, and it has already officially launched its first offering in the Philippines, the Denza D9 DM-i.
The D9 DM-i is among the list of vehicles that Denza will introduce in the Philippines. In fact, during the D9’s launch event, Denza previewed the Z9 GT, which shows that BYD’s premium car brand is staying true to its promise. Autocar was able to sit down with BYD Philippines Corporation Country Head Adam Hu last February. According to him, the Denza Z9 GT is coming to the Philippines, and we “won’t have to wait long.”
As such, its surprise preview during the D9 DM-i’s launch could indicate that the Denza Z9 GT’s Philippine launch could just be around the corner. The Denza Z9 GT is a shooting brake or a wagon that features a sporty and assertive exterior along with a modern cabin design. In China, it is offered in either a full electric vehicle (EV) or a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV).
Both Denza Z9 GTs, EV and PHEV, are equipped with BYD’s second-generation Blade Battery or Blade Battery 2.0. There is a lot of new stuff that the BYD Blade Battery 2.0 can do, and one of which is that it can deliver a charging experience that could match the speed of refueling.
BYD claims that the Blade Battery 2.0 can charge from 10 to 70 percent in around five minutes, and it can reach 97 percent in under 10 minutes. This is a significant improvement based on the current standard charging times that car brands are publishing. Most of the EVs in the market can charge from 10 to 80 percent in 30 minutes or so, which is far from the charging speed that BYD’s second-generation Blade Battery can offer.
Aside from the significantly faster charging, the BYD Blade Battery 2.0 enables EVs to travel longer than 1,000 kilometers on a single charge. This is evident in the Denza Z9 GT EV, which is said to have the capability to drive for up to 1,036 kilometers (CLTC) on a single charge. This is made possible through its 122.5 kWh second-gen Blade Battery.
In terms of power output, the Denza Z9 GT EV that comes with 1,036 km of electric driving range can generate a max output of 503 horsepower and 500 Nm of torque. Denza claims that it can go from zero to 100 km/h in 5.8 seconds, before hitting a top speed of 240 km/h.
Meanwhile, the Denza Z9 GT PHEV is equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine and three electric motors, producing a combined output of 870 horsepower. It is also integrated with a 63.8 kWh BYD Blade Battery 2.0, allowing the PHEV trim to have a maximum pure electric range of 401 kilometers (CLTC), while the combined driving range is 1,301 kilometers (CLTC).
Denza Philippines has yet to announce the exact launch date of the Z9 GT. But, as what BYD Philippines Corporation Country Head Adam Hu said, we “won’t have to wait long.”
Autocar’s Take
The Denza Z9 GT is a nice addition to Denza’s model lineup in the Philippines. The Z9 GT shows that Denza Philippines does not intend to just be a premium car brand that offers minivans and crossover SUVs, but as a brand that also has an offering for car enthusiasts. The Z9 GT could do just that for Denza PH’s overall brand appearance.
Not just that, the Z9 GT comes with BYD’s second-gen Blade Battery, which has the capability to have significantly faster charging times. Imagine, it can charge from 10 to 70 percent in around 5 minutes, which is way quicker than the usual charging times we see in the market today.
