The Z9GT will officially go on sale and begin deliveries in September, and its powerful performance and lower-than-expected prices mean Denza has high hopes for its sales.

Denza, BYD's (HKG: 1211, OTCMKTS: BYDDY) premium new energy vehicle (NEV) brand, has started pre-sales of its Z9GT hatchback, hoping to boost sales with lower-than-expected prices and strong performance.

Denza started pre-sales of the Z9GT at a launch event today, with a pre-sale price range of RMB 339,800 ($47,620) to RMB 419,800, well below the previously rumored price of around RMB 500,000.

The car is based on BYD's e³ technology and is the first to use it, with power of nearly 1,000 horsepower and can accelerate from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in under four seconds.

Denza said that the Z9GT will be officially launched and start deliveries in September.

It also gave the model's regular sedan version, the Z9, a brief appearance at today's launch and began pre-sales at the same prices. The Z9 will go on sale and begin deliveries in the fourth quarter.

The Z9GT is the first model in Denza's Z series, which will be sedans, with GT standing for Grand Tourer.

Denza's current models in delivery include the D9 MPV (multi-purpose vehicle), and the N7 and N8 SUVs (sport utility vehicles).

The Z9GT's biggest selling point is BYD's e³ technology, based on the Xuanji architecture, which brings tri-motor independent drive with dual-motor independent steering at the rear wheels.

The e³ can be seen as a scaled-down version of BYD's e⁴ technology for ultra-luxury cars, although it still brings great performance and features.

BYD revealed the e⁴ technology when it unveiled its ultra-luxury Yangwang brand on January 5, 2023, a powertrain centered around a quad-motor independent drive with more than 1,000 horsepower.

The Yangwang brand's two models, the U8 off-road SUV and the U9 electric supercar, are both based on e⁴ technology and are both priced at more than RMB 1 million.

The e³ technology is compatible with plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) and battery electric vehicle (BEV) platforms, and uses BYD's latest DM 5.0 hybrid technology and e-Platform 3.0 Evo electric technology.

The aggressive pre-sale pricing of the Z9GT means Denza is banking on the model to help it boost sales.

Denza is a joint venture formed in 2010 by BYD and Daimler, each holding a 50 percent stake at the time. In February 2022, the Daimler brand was rebranded as Mercedes. BYD increased its stake in Denza to 90 percent in 2022.

The D9 MPV is the first model of the rebranded Denza and a major contributor to Denza's sales.

In the January-July period of this year, Denza sold 69,905 vehicles, up 2.96 percent year-on-year, according to data compiled by CnEVPost.

The D9 sold 62,161 units during the period, contributing 89 percent of Denza's sales, while the N7 and N8 combined contributed only 11 percent.

($1 = RMB 7.1354)

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