BYD guns for Porsche with the Denza Z9 GT with up to 952bhp

BYD is bringing its premium Denza brand to the UK and Europe, first with the Denza Z9 GT, an EV or PHEV with up to 952bhp.

It’s 16 years since we were busy decrying China’s BYD for producing a Porsche Cayenne clone, but they’ve come a long way from then, via cooperation with Mercedes and are now busy giving car makers from the UK, Europe and Asia a real run for their money with cars like the Sealion 7.

But BYD is now about to launch its premium Denza brand to the UK and Europe with plans for a range of up to six models, spearheaded by the Denza Z9 GT, which looks set to give Porsche a few sleepless nights.

The four-seat Z9 GT is a four-seat GT model very much in the mould of the Porsche Taycan and Panamera and sits on BYD’s e3 Platform with 800V architecture, cell-to-body integration for increased rigidity and, in EV guise, three electric motors with air suspension with double wishbones at the front and multilink at the back.

The EV powertrain comprises a 308bhp motor at the front and a pair of 322bhp motors at the back, for a combined 952bhp, powered by a 100kWh battery. It delivers 62mph in 3.4 seconds and a range of around 340 miles.

Bu Denza won’t be offering the Z9 GT as an EV only, with an almost as powerful PHEV option too with a 2.0-litre petrol good for 268bhp and a pair of electric motors ate the back producing a combined 858bhp, enough for 62mph in 3.6 seconds, with its 38.5kWh battery promising EV range of 125 miles. It also comes with rear-wheel steering and he ability to ‘Crab Walk’ into parking spaces.

Inside looks decidedly premium with what looks like lashings of leather, 17.3″ infotainment and 13.2″ passenger display, but appears to have plenty of real switches and knobs too.

Impressive though the Z9 GT is, it’s set to improve even further when it arrives in the UK and Europe at the end of the year.