- The Denza Z is a four-seat electric sports car made by Denza, BYD’s luxury brand.
- It will start at roughly $190,000 in the U.K. That’s is nearly double its price in China, which is only around $100,000.
- It has 1,582 horsepower from a tri-motor setup.
It’s no secret that Chinese automakers are aiming for the whole world, not just dominating their home market of China. But they’re not just exporting small hatchbacks and medium-sized crossovers to undercut established car brands. No, Chinese brands are going after luxury and high-performance brands, too. This past week, BYD’s luxury brand Denza launched the Z at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. This sleek four-seat coupe will set you back at least $190,000 when it goes on sale in the U.K.
It’s become common practice for Chinese automakers to charge significantly more for export versions of their products, often due to tariffs and the desire to profit off of export markets, especially as price wars in China itself drive down margins. The Denza Z is no exception; its Chinese price is $100,200 (680,000 RMB), so it’s effectively double the price in the U.K. Still, you’ll notice that both of those prices are quite high. The Denza Z’s price is right in the ballpark of a decently equipped Porsche 911. Keep in mind this is for the base Coupe trim; pricing for the Spider (convertible) and Racing trims rocket up to the equivalent of $219,000 and $230,000, respectively.
Photo by: BYD
The Denza Z is a lot of car, though. It’s jam-packed with a lot of new BYD tech, like a steer-by-wire setup that includes rear-wheel steering. The base car comes with a tri-motor setup (one in front, two in rear) that is good for a stunning 1,582 horsepower. Denza says the car will snatch itself to 62 mph in as little as 1.98 seconds, at least in the racing trim. Top speed is a whopping 217 mph for that trim as well. Standard coupe drivers will have to settle for a slower 0-62 of 2.25 seconds and a 186 mph top speed.
Oh, and like other new BYDs, it’s capable of Flash Charging. BYD says it can do a 10-97% sprint in as little as nine minutes. A 5-minute charge could bring the car up to 70%, enabling sporty driving and track sessions without skipping a beat. U.K. drivers can expect 254 miles of range (WLTP) from the car’s 76 kWh battery pack.
A few British media outlets got some limited seat time with the Denza Z. Although many were impressed with the specs, the journalists didn’t seem to love driving it. At CAR, the reviewer said the controls were well tuned, but wasn’t all that keen on the handling, claiming the car was floatier and softer than expected. That’s not great from a car that’s aiming to be essentially an electric version of the Porsche 911. Top Gear seconded the softer-than-expected dynamics.
It’s a given that Chinese cars will generally be subject to tariffs outside of China. Right now, the U.K. has one of the lowest in the world, sitting at 10% for imported vehicles from China. Still, BYD’s price discrepancy between the U.K. and its home market is likely due to BYD seeking wider profit margins outside of its home market. Back in 2024, Rhodium Group found that even with tariffs, Chinese vehicles are still generally making more profit abroad than at home, as extreme competition in the Chinese market is driving down prices. There’s more room for heftier margins in export markets that are less competitive. Thus, the Denza Z’s high price tag.
Photo by: Denza
The specs of the Z are certainly world-beating, but I think Denza itself is still finding its footing as to what it wants to be outside of China, and trying to establish a brand people know and care about. Currently, it makes a big station wagon and a large SUV, both of which are very pricey and don’t seem to light Europe’s sales charts on fire. The Denza Z is meant to be a halo car, designed to show the world what BYD is capable of, while making new fans want the car. But I’m not sure if it will. Nearly $200,000 is a lot of money to fork over for a high-power coupe that doesn’t quite nail all of the sports car notes quite yet. Only time will tell if the Denza Z is the right move for BYD.
Contact the author: Kevin.williams@insideevs.com.