- Our first drive in the Denza Z
- Electric sports car impresses
- More of a rapid GT than a hyper EV
- Looks beautiful in the metal
- Synthetic sounds actually work well
- Arrives soon, priced from £149,200
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(The Denza Z Spider with our man Matt)
We’ve driven the incoming Denza Z - and here’s how it felt to unleash the EV’s power on the racetrack.
BYD’s premium Denza brand is landing in Europe this year - and it’s going in guns blazing.
Denza has already teased a sleek executive shooting brake (the Denza Z9GT), a large seven-seat MPV (the Denza D9) and a ladder-framed Toyota Land Cruiser rival (the Denza Bao 5), and now we have a low-slung sports car called the Z.
That said, the Z looks more like a cross between a sports car, a grand tourer, and a supercar – but with hypercar performance.
There’s the Denza Z coupe, a Denza Z Spider convertible, and an all-in Denza Z Racing.
And here’s our early verdict.
(Denza Z Racing)
What are the pros & cons of the Denza Z?
Pros:
- Interesting sleek design
- Great technology
- Solid-feeling interior
Cons:
- We’ve only had a brief drive
- Some body roll
- Doesn’t feel as quick as the figures suggest
What are the first impressions of the Denza Z?
The Denza Z’s sloped front reminded us of the Lotus Emira, while the Spider variant looked closer to the Maserati MCPura Cielo.
It’s odd what removing a roof can do to your perception.
It’s worth remembering that this is a Wolfgang Egger-designed machine (the fabulous brain behind some of Lamborghini, Audi and Alfa Romeo's designs), so it’s not exactly boring to look at.
That, combined with some serious engineering, makes the Z a rather enticing proposition.
Still, it was tough to bend your mind around how much power lies beneath its bodywork.
What are the Denza Z’s key features?
There are three trims to choose from: Coupe, Spider, and Racing. Each gets 1605 PS (yes, you read that correctly), a 76 kWh battery, three e-motors, and 929 lb ft.
The Coupe is the standard car, while the Spider gets an electrically folding soft top.
Both also get the brand's clever 'Disus-M' magnetorheological damper system - which adjusts damper firmness depending on the selected drive mode - air suspension, and carbon-ceramic brakes.
Finally, there's the Racing. Although power remains unchanged, it instead gets coil springs while retaining the 'Disus-M' system.
Likewise, it has a track mode that further firms up the dampers, and a boost mode that unlocks 30 per cent extra torque for up to 20 seconds.
What is the range of the Denza Z, and what are the battery options?
It's worth remembering that BYD’s Denza is leaning more towards a fun sports car rather than a mile-cruncher. However, the Coupe variant claims a 254-mile range, the Spider 248 miles, and the Racing 236 miles.
Moreover, each uses BYD's 'Blade 2.0' battery tech, meaning it's capable of high-speed Flash Charging.
By hooking it up to one of the brand's unique chargers, rolling out across Europe as we write this, the Z can be charged from 10-97 per cent in nine minutes.
Such technology is readily available in China. Like the Bao 5, the Z will charge at 11 kW AC if your home can support it.
How does the Denza Z drive and handle?
Recently, we drove the 1,079 PS Aston Martin Valhalla hypercar across France to Le Mans, so we were keen to see how a car with an extra 526 PS would feel on track.
The Valhalla uses a hybrid powertrain, whereas the Denza feeds its power to all four wheels via its electric motors.
As for figures, BYD claims the Coupe will hit 0- 62 mph in 2.25 seconds, the Spider in 2.3 seconds, and the Racing in a mind-boggling 1.96 seconds. Top speed for the Coupe and Spider is 186mph, while the Racing manages 217mph flat out.
Driving out of the Goodwood Circuit paddock, our support driver in the passenger seat, we began with a sightseeing lap before giving it the beans. This allowed us to adjust to the car and the Goodwood Circuit.
On the second lap, we unleashed all 1,605 PS, or so we thought. We were a bit scared to go near the throttle at first, with thoughts that it might throw the Earth off its axis, killing millions.
But the car didn't go as rapidly as the figures suggest. That said, Goodwood's circuit isn't exactly massive; you'd be on the throttle for a bit before slowing to weave it through the track's chicanes.
Then there's the synthetic gear change and six-cylinder soundtrack that's fed through the car's speakers. This can be a gimmick on other EVs, but we enjoyed it in the Z, as it made it a bit easier to gauge our speed on track.
The corners are where the Z will make you feel a bit sick if you're not careful. It grips the track like an eagle that's caught a fresh meal. With each corner, we got faster, the carbon brakes betraying the car's speed. It's awesome.
We did note a bit of body roll at points, and the rear felt a bit twitchy when braking hard - something I can't quite recall when testing the Porsche 911 Turbo S. It's worth noting, however, that this is a 2.2-tonne car.
What’s the interior of the Denza Z like?
There are no massive sills to clamber over or wild roll cages to fit inside. In fact, it's all fairly civilised, as a Porsche rival should be. The button-filled steering wheel looks a bit busy, but we'd rather this than no buttons at all.
Likewise, there's a useful digital instrument cluster, a high centre console and a large touchscreen in the middle of the dash.
The seats are supportive without being harshly firm, although we feel the driving position could be lower, as it felt like we were riding on top of the car at points.
A peek behind reveals two tiny seats that are best kept for smaller passengers or shopping bags. Finally, there's a Devialet audio system as standard across the range, heaps of tech, and you can even get a small fridge in the centre console if you so wish.
How safe is the Denza Z?
All the safety systems were off (except traction control) when testing the Denza Z; therefore, we couldn't gauge how annoying they would be. But we'll update this in due course.
As for crash testing, like other Denza products, the Z has yet to undergo EuroNCAP's thorough testing. So far, eight of BYD's cars have been tested, and every one has received a five-star rating.
What options are available with the Denza Z?
Besides the trim levels, Denza offers the Z in a variety of vibrant and docile colours. There are three basic colours (orange, silver, and light green), three premium colours (red, deep blue and light blue), and six optional colours (yellow, greys and blues).
Buyers can also choose the colours of the brake callipers, soft top, and seats. Meanwhile, there are three alloy wheels to choose from.
The Denza Z also gets Nappa leather seats with 12-way power adjustment, a 10-point massage function, ventilated and heated seats, and active side bolsters as standard.
What are the main rivals to the Denza Z?
Key rivals include the Porsche 911 Turbo S, Maserati MCPura, Ferrari Amalfi, and Aston Martin Vantage.
What’s the final verdict on the Denza Z?
Because we only drove the Z Coupe on track (and not to its full potential), it's tough to give a verdict. It handles remarkably well, but so does a Porsche.
Likewise, it didn't feel as titanic as the power and torque figures suggested - and that's not to say it's slow, but it feels more like a soft GT rather than an organ-rearranging hyper EV.
Design-wise, it's a beautiful thing - especially when dressed in the brand's more vibrant colour palette.
The Z will be available to order later in the summer of 2026, with prices starting at £149,200 for the Coupe, £159,900 for the Spider, and £172,900 for the Racing.
For now, we'll keep our cards close to our chest until we get it on the road in a few months.
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