Denza Z9 GT 2025 Review

The 2025 Denza Z9 GT is yet to be priced for Australia but some educated estimates have it hovering around $80,000. You could argue that’s not cheap for an unknown brand in a market replete with impressive luxury fare (starting with BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Lexus).

But the Z9 GT looks set to come with an armoury of gear, including big performance (we’ll get to that), lashings of Nappa leather and plenty of trinkets. There’s a panoramic sunroof and head-up display, as well as power operated and massaging front seats. You can even option massaging rear seats, which gives an indication of how keen the brand is to ram home the luxury experience.

The car we tested had two fridges (nothing like being prepared!); one up front and the other embedded in the central arm rest in the rear, in turn creating a notch in the centre of the boot where it protrudes in to.

There’s also impressive attention to detail, from the rich materials in the cabin to the upmarket finishes and plastics. Some of the details are cool, too, such as the wheel centre caps that remain upright when the car is rolling – just like a Rolls-Royce.

Another feature that mimics Rolls-Royce is the way the driver’s door closes when you sit inside and press the brake pedal. However, the big Roller doesn’t close the door on voice command, which the Z9 GT can do.

As with all BYDs, there’s a central infotainment screen that rotates through 90 degrees, allowing either a portrait or landscape configuration. There’s also a passenger display and up to 16 cameras. The Z9 also gets a 26-speaker sound system from fledgling French brand Devialet.

The 2025 Denza Z9 GT is very fast, in a straight line at least. Our brief drive was limited to an airport apron with witches hats, which is hardly the place to settle into a grand tourer. But it was enough to learn it punches hard from a standstill.

The plug-in hybrid variant we drove produces 640kW from its three electric motors – one for each rear wheel and one shared across the front axle – and the 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo engine. Stepping up to the EV version brings 710kW, which is the sort of stupendous power to embarrass many Ferraris and Lamborghinis.

Determining how much torque the Z9 makes was difficult – there’s lots more we want to know about the Z9 – but suffice to say it’s a lot. The dash to 100km/h is claimed to take 3.6 seconds in the PHEV or 3.4 seconds for the EV.

For the most part the PHEV runs on electricity, with the petrol engine chiming in at higher speeds. Drive it hard and the fans work hard to cool that petrol engine as it continues supplying electricity to the 38.5kWh battery pack.

While it doesn’t have the ferocity of a Porsche in its initial take-off, there’s ample thrust for easy progress. When it comes time to charge it’ll take about 20 hours from a home powerpoint or six hours from a wallbox. Faster DC charging maxes out at 82kW, which is not that special for a luxury-market contender.

The Z9 GT is also very big. It’s almost 5.2 metres long and two metres wide. That makes it bigger than a Mercedes-Benz E-Class, BMW 5-Series and Porsche Panamera. If you’re still thinking local, it’s about 30cm longer and 10cm wider than the last of the Holden Commodores.

A quasi-tank turn is one of the Z9 GT’s many party tricks. The rear wheels can spin slowly in opposite directions, allowing the car to pivot around its front axis. Dial up the angle you’d like it to turn and let the car do the slow-speed wheelspinning, leaving some of that Continental rubber on the bitumen.

It’s a head-turning display, albeit one that’s likely to be better at impressive friends than performing tight city turns.

The biggest hurdle the 2025 Denza Z9 GT will come up against is brand recognition, or lack thereof. It’s an unknown brand in a sea of seriously big names with plenty of luxury muscle and decades of heritage behind them. That counts for something in the premium market, especially for those keen to show off the badge.

From our brief drive it was also apparent the Z9 GT is very much more a grand tourer rather than a sports car. Blame it on weight, of which there is no shortage. The Z9 GT weighs almost 2.9 tonnes – about 300kg more than a Toyota LandCruiser – and you feel it.

Those massive power numbers are dulled somewhat because those triple motors are forced to shift so many kilos. Yes, it’s quick, but it’s not ferocious, at least from an EV perspective.

When you ask it to change direction the Z9 also reinforces its hefty side. Huge 21-inch Continental tyres – wider at the rear than the front – provide decent grip although ultimately struggle to contain so much low-slung GT on quick direction changes. It feels like a car that would be far more at home settling into a long sweeper than darting between switchbacks.

And while the cabin is spacious, the boot has a notch against the seat back to make way for the rear-mounted fridge. It makes for an odd load space in what is otherwise a spacious machine.

The 2025 Denza Z9 GT will in some ways be a leap of faith for luxury car buyers. There’s substance in the performance, features and impressive array of finishes and materials. But it lacks brand recognition and a reputation for pampering owners, two things that rate highly among luxury buyers.

The one thing the Z9 GT could have in its favour is a price tag to surprise, at least once you consider what it packs in. That’s something that can’t be underestimated, particularly from buyers who are less fazed about the badge – and more interested in embracing new tech, which the Z9 delivers in spades.

Who knows, just as the Nissan GT-R managed to find its own niche in the supercar space, the Denza could carve itself a small slice of the luxury market for those chasing something different.

2025 Denza Z9 GT at a glance:
Price: From about $80,000 (estimated)
Available: Second half of 2025 (probably)
Powertrain: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol electric
Output: 152kW petrol engine and three electric motors (outputs undisclosed)
Combined output: 640kW
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Battery: 38.5kWh lithium-ferrous phosphate lithium-ion battery
Range: 201km (CLTC, electric-only range)
Energy consumption: TBA
Fuel: TBA
CO2: TBA
Safety rating: Not tested

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