Styling
The EV model doesn't look appreciably different to the Denza Z9 GT DM-i we've already sampled, which is no bad thing. It's not what you'd call beautiful, and even though Denza refers to the GT as a 'shooting brake', we wouldn't say it was very estate-like (there's a non-GT Z9 offered too, which is a four-door saloon). Nevertheless, it was penned under the auspices of German design chief Wolfgang Egger, who has previously worked at Alfa Romeo, Audi and Lamborghini, and its flowing form is said to be inspired by the look of that most Chinese of materials, silk, when it is in motion. Perhaps of more note than the pleasant styling itself is the fact the Z9 GT EV is a bit of a whopper, measuring almost 5.2 metres long and with 3.1 metres of that spread out in the wheelbase.
Interior
We didn't get very long in the Z9 GT EV to have a full prod and poke around, but the quality of what we did see and touch was largely excellent. There's a nice use of materials for the main fascias, the seats are plush and supportive, as you'd expect of a Chinese car there's a wealth of tech (three big digital screens for each of the driver's cluster, the main infotainment and the passenger-side dash, plus a powerful sound system, 128-colour ambient lighting and twin wireless smartphone charging pads ahead of the gearlever), and it seems ergonomically pretty decent. What we don't know at this stage, though, is how functional the touchscreen is to use on the move; we were driving the Denza for a handful of laps on track, so we didn't assess how easy it was to adjust the climate in the car or turn off driver aids, for instance. We'll reserve judgment on that until we've driven the Z9 GT EV more comprehensively, closer to home.
Practicality
There can be no complaints about rear passenger space in the Denza Z9 GT EV, because the thing is absolutely vast in the back. A completely flat floor, courtesy of its cell-to-body battery structure, and that gigantic wheelbase too, result in enough room in the second row to hold a disco. There are also a useful amount of storage solutions and practicality touches both front and rear, although the only boot-space figure we have been provided with at this stage - 488 litres with all seats in use - rather speaks volumes about how un-estate-y the Denza's slippery body actually is.
Performance
Another area that even the most demanding of European customers would struggle to complain about. The Z9 GT DM-i already has brain-melting figures of 870hp and 1,130Nm, but the EV ups those even further to 965hp and 1,150Nm; numbers enough to eclipse every model of Audi e-tron GT (max power: 925hp) and almost all Taycans save for the demented
Turbo GT flagship (the Turbo S that's next down the tree tops out at 952hp on overboost). Mind, the Denza needs such punch, because it weighs as near as makes no difference 2.8 tonnes.
Still, from our brief blast in it, the Denza is clearly quick enough in a straight line to keep a briskly driven 1,306hp Yangwang U9 - currently the record-holding production car for top speed (admittedly, in its 3,000hp-plus Xtreme form, which is not the model we were following) - perfectly honest down the long straight at BYD's new test-track facility just outside Zhengzhou. The quoted 0-62mph time of 3.4 seconds is entirely believable, and not a little eye-widening when you realise how much mass the triple motors of the Z9 GT EV are firing at the horizon.
Where it will most likely win fans in Europe is with the charging speeds. With an 800-volt architecture, the EV is currently rated at 270kW DC for peak rates, which is rapid enough as is. But Denza's parent firm BYD has come up with megawatt charging, or DC public units which can deliver 1,000kW of power at a time. At such speeds, the group's electric cars can receive up to 250 miles of driving range in just five minutes of hook-up, making them comparable to refuelling a petrol or diesel vehicle. And if you're immediately reckoning that none of these 1MW 'flash' chargers will come to the UK, think again: BYD's CEO Stella Li confirmed at this very test-drive event that 6,000 megawatt units will be installed, worldwide (i.e., outside its home market of China), in the coming months. And there are more than 200 of those sites earmarked for the UK, which the company views as a key market.
One final note of caution: the official range claim, and electrical consumption rate, were both garnered under the favourable Chinese light-duty vehicle test cycle, known as CLTC. This gives notably generous EV range figures compared to WLTP, as it is conducted at lower average and maximum speeds. It's therefore more likely that the official WLTP figure of the Z9 GT EV would be more like 250-300 miles, in reality.
Ride & Handling
Full disclaimer, as the American sites say: we drove this car for less than five miles on track in China, so this is not a full rundown on its dynamic capabilities at this stage. Furthermore, we were told the Chinese-spec vehicle we sampled has much softer suspension and lighter steering than the European cars will possess, as that's what its domestic consumers prefer from their vehicles.
Therefore, the fact that the Z9 GT EV felt quite roly-poly in the corners, that it quickly devolved into tyre-squealing understeer with little provocation (odd, as it was on Continentals), and that we'd like more bite and information from the helm - they're all moot points, until we've tried the cars with the specific chassis tune for our part of the world. What we will say is that, for all these points we've made here, the Denza still wasn't appalling round track and proved to be reasonably fun to drive.
Part of the reason for that is its four-wheel-steering system, which gives it remarkable agility for something of its considerable size and weight. And the clever e3 platform means the rear wheels can steer independently of each other, not just the fronts, allowing the car to perform two party tricks - both of which we tried.
The first of these is the crab walk. This points all four wheels in one direction and allows the Z9 GT EV to drive diagonally, like some kind of oversized automotive bishop on a chessboard. Quite what purpose this serves, we're not sure; Denza seems to intimate it'll help getting into and out of parking spaces at the side of the road, or nipping through gaps in slow-moving city traffic. Colour us unconvinced. The other gimmick is the tank turn: the Z9 GT EV will flip its two rear wheels in opposite directions and then send all the remaining torque to one of the remaining two front wheels, allowing it to pivot entirely on its own axis. Great for manoeuvring the car around if you've got into a weirdly tight spot, but not so great on the tyres' tread and ultimate longevity.
Value
Not an area we can comment accurately on at this stage, but in its home market of China, the Denza Z9 GT EV is about 365,000 Yuan (at the time of writing). Roughly converted, that would be around £36,500. It is incredibly unlikely that, once you factor in right-hand-drive conversion and all the relevant local taxes, plus the market positioning Denza hopes to occupy, you'd be able to get a 965hp EV in the UK for less than 40 grand. However, there's a good chance it will undercut even the most basic Taycan Sport Turismo's figure of £89,200 (for the 435hp entry-level model) or the e-tron GT's £89,505 kick-off for a 585hp quattro - and there's a further likelihood that the standard specification on the Denza Z9 GT EV will be generous in the extreme as the final icing on the cake.
Verdict
On the understanding that we've only driven it for a very short length of time, and that we were also in a Chinese-market car which wasn't representative of European-model dynamics, there's still plenty here to recommend with the Denza Z9 GT EV. Stupendously fast, decent to look at, possessed of a high-quality and supremely spacious cabin, and potentially also capable of the fastest charging rates we've seen from any electric vehicle on sale so far, this Chinese newcomer still needs to develop before hitting European roads - but if it does so correctly, then the European establishment ought to be very, very worried indeed.
