A few days ago, Denza launched presales of the Z9 GT, one of two flagship models to appear this year. The second will be the N9 flagship SUV. Up until now, the model had only been spotted heavily camouflaged, but now, in the run-up to its unveiling around the end of 2024, images are emerging of the car with far less camouflage, which allows us to make out the true shape of the car and we can also see that the test model now sports finalized lights. From these, we can see that the N9, from certain angles, seems to channel an inner Range Rover.
At the front, the hood slopes down quite quickly, and we can see that the N9 is broad. The headlight clusters have a split daytime running light design similar to those seen on the Z9 GT, along with slender headlights. The front looks largely enclosed, with air intakes at the bottom of the fender.
Side images show that the N9 should be large with there evidently being a long wheelbase. It’s expected that the SUV will feature some form of rear-wheel steering to help maneuver the car. In the shot taken from above, the car is nearly completely uncamouflaged, and we can see that it features concealed door handles and a panoramic roof. Certainly, from that angle, the rear seems to have a lot of Range Rover influence about it, with the thick spoiler at the end of the roof line and a tailgate that drops down abruptly. Given the size of the N9 it will almost certainly be a three-row SUV.
A cheeky shot through the window gives us another glimpse of the interior. This once again seems to confirm that inside the Denza N9 should be very similar to the overall layout of the Denza Z9 GT. This means a three-screen layout in the front and a center console decorated with wood grain trim along with leather for the steering wheel. Like the Z9 GT the car almost certainly features two refrigerators.
Although there is currently no information about the powertrain of the N9, given that the car is a flagship product, as with the Z9 GT, we can expect the powertrains to be similar and so the N9 will likely feature a three-motor setup. For reference, the Z9 GT in its all-electric version has a 230 kW front motor while it has two electric motors at the rear, each with a peak power of 240 kW, giving a combined total of 710 kW. The PHEV version of the Denza Z9 GT gets a BYD479ZQA 2.0T engine and three electric motors. Maximum power of the engine is 152 kW, and the front motor is 200 kW while both rear motors are 220 kW each. Current expectations are that the N9 will come in both EV and PHEV forms.
Denza started life as a 50:50 joint venture between BYD and Mercedes Benz. However, since 2021, Mercedes Benz has taken a back seat, and BYD now controls 90% of the venture. Currently, three models are on sale the D9 MPV and the N7 and N8 SUVs. Deliveries of the Z9 GT will begin in September, and later, the GT version will be joined by a sedan version known simply as the Z9. We can expect to see the N9 unveil before the end of the year and deliveries to commence during the first quarter of 2025 at the latest.
Sources: Autohome, Fast Technology
I don’t really love SUV’s anymore (fed up) – only station wagons appeal (Norwegian VW importer ordered 9 out of ten of the new ID7 as station cars, typical Scandinavia/Northern Europe – please inform the Chinese!) but this SUV really reminds of a Land Rover/ Range Rover, which is a perfect design.
And they still haven’t got a big Land Rover/ Range Rover all electric. So, thank you BYD (is there no limit to how many models BYD are able to present per year???). But, they are great!
It MUST have a huge battery – 150 kWh, and with a towing capacity of 3,5 ton, as the “original” diesel/petrol competitor with UK origin.
Thank you Mark, this is good news. And I bet it will be cheaper than the other brand mentioned. Even in Europe.
Good to know. I think a lot of Chinese companies are currently working on EV wagons.