Automotive News Europe — 2023-08-22
Automotive Industry
Denza's D9 electric minivan will receive a European debut at the IAA Mobility show in Munich.
Chinese EV giant BYD will launch its upmarket Denza brand in Europe at the IAA Mobility show in Munich next month.
Denza was created as part of a joint venture company between BYD and Mercedes-Benz in 2010 and is now part of BYD's core stable of brands in China, sitting above BYD but below the ultraluxury YangWang brand.
Mercedes owns 10% of the brand after reducing its stake in 2021.
In Munich, BYD will give the Denza D9 seven-seat, battery-electric minivan a European debut, the company said. The D9 is a competitor to the Mercedes V-class and new Lexus LM.
BYD did not give any details on when it will launch Denza sales in Europe.
BYD brand’s bigger lineup
BYD will also use the Munich show, which starts on 4 September, to launch the BYD Seal midsize electric sedan in its European markets.
The Seal will be sold with two different battery sizes and ranges. The Comfort version has a 71.8 kilowatt-hour BYD Blade Battery with a 420-km (260-mile) range under the WLTP test cycle, while the Design version has a larger, 87-kWh battery and a 500-km range.
The Seal will bring the number of cars BYD sells in Europe to six by the end of the year, the company said.
The Seal will launch in autumn alongside the Seal U midsize SUV.
BYD already sells the Tang large SUV, Han large sedan, and Atto 3 compact SUV. The Dolphin compact is currently being rolled out in Europe.
BYD sold 2,492 cars in Europe in the first seven months, according to preliminary figures from market researchers Dataforce.
The bulk of sales – 1,977 – were for the Atto 3 SUV.
The figures do not include June or July sales for Sweden, where the Atto 3 beat the VW ID4 to become the country’s best-selling electric car in July.