Mercedes and BYD Show Off Their Porsche Panamera-Style Model

Jay Ramey
·3 min read
1
a black sports car parked in front of a building with columns
Mercedes and BYD Team up for Panamera-Style ModelDenza

  • Denza previews a Panamera-style shooting brake ahead of the Beijing Motor Show, with production expected to start later this year.

  • The Denza brand, which offers battery-electric models and plug-in hybrids, is part of a joint venture between Chinese automaker BYD and Mercedes-Benz.

  • BYD is currently on a global export spree with its affordable battery-electric offerings, aiming to capture a significant slice of several popular EV segments.

Denza may not be a household name in the United States, but in China it's better known as BYD's luxury brand. And it's one that counts Mercedes-Benz as one of its two owners, with the brand having been set up as a joint venture back in 2012.

Just a couple weeks ahead of the Beijing Motor Show, Denza has brought an upcoming model to Europe, and it hasn't been shy about what popular Porsche model it has its sights on.

The Denza Z9 GT certainly looks like it could be mistaken for the Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo or the Panamera longroof once it loses its neon camo. And that's the whole point.

The resemblance is not exactly a case of stealing a look at Porsche's sketchbook: The exterior of the sleek shooting brake was overseen by former Audi design chief Wolfgang Egger, who has led BYD design since 2017. And of course Audi, alongside Porsche, is part of the VW Group.

In other words, BYD hired one of Porsche's sibling brand's design bosses years ago.

Still, there are enough differences on the outside for the Denza model to stand out, once it goes into production later this year.

"The design is simultaneously spirited and deluxe," Egger said regarding the Z9 GT.

a group of people standing around a car
The Denza Z9 GT could arrive on the market both as an EV and a PHEV model.Denza

Denza did stop short of promising an EV-only powertrain for the upcoming model, however.

The brand's current lineup consists of two SUVs and a minivan offered both in battery-electric as well as PHEV variants, and it is expected that Denza will stick to this formula for its flagship model.

Denza is known for offering "new energy" vehicles in China, which is a category that lumps together hybrids, PHEVs, and BEVs.

The publicity push by the automaker coincides with the BYD's rapidly expanding plans for major export markets, including Europe, even though the focus has been on very affordable EVs wearing the BYD badge.

Denza, on the other hand, is set to compete with luxury brands in China, with plans for a launch in Europe in the future.

The preview of Denza's luxury EV, aimed clearly at Porsche, is the latest shot across the bow of traditional European brands by an automaker making quite a few headlines these days, and enjoying plenty of momentum.

the track club
Hearst Owned

But car shoppers in China still have the option of just buying an "original" Porsche model, lest we forget.

BYD's fortunes in Europe, meanwhile, are still thought to be closely linked to more affordable EV models that could undercut European automakers' offerings by a significant margin. So a Panamera look-alike would not be the volume model to sway buyers away from Porsche.

If anything, it's the sales of smaller electric models that European brands should be concerned about.

Will we see Chinese brands begin to offer EVs in the US in this decade, if ever, or will they choose not to launch sales stateside? Let us know what you think.