Peter Lyon
January 22, 2025
According to Facebook posts from the brand’s recently appointed dealers, BYD Cars Malaysia has just opened the order books for the Denza D9 electric MPV after the initial announcement last November.
Although the price has not yet been disclosed, the fully electric MPV’s discounted launch pricing in Thailand starts at THB1,999,900, or roughly RM263k. In Malaysia, the Zeekr 009, its main rival, starts at RM349,800.
The D9 is only available with electric propulsion in its export RHD version, which comes in front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive versions. While the latter adds a second motor to the back axle for a healthy total of 374 horsepower and 470 Nm, resulting in a 6.9-second 0-100 km/h sprint, the former sees a single motor with 313 horsepower and 360 Nm and a 0-100 time of 9.5 seconds.
D9 Delivers 520 km Of Range
The same 103 kWh Blade lithium iron phosphate battery pack powers both models, giving the FWD model a WLTP-rated range of 520 km and the AWD variant 480 km. Either the onboard 11 kW AC charger or a DC fast charger with a maximum capacity of 166 kW can be used to charge the battery.
The D9 is a premium MPV with captain seats in the second row that resembles business class seats and are covered in embroidered Nappa leather. Although the equipment details won’t be available until launch, we anticipate that those arriving in Malaysia will be just as well-equipped as the D9 in the Thai market.
Notable interior features include a panoramic glass roof, 14-speaker Dynaudio sound system, three 50-watt wireless charging pads in the first and second row seats, power adjustable captain seats in the second row with lumbar adjustment, seat ventilation, and massage functions, and real wood trim on the dashboard and door cards.
The Denza D9 is equipped with a sophisticated array of advanced driver assistance technologies, such as adaptive cruise control with lane centering, autonomous emergency braking, front- and rear-cross traffic detection with auto braking, and driver attention monitoring.
CARLIST THOUGHTS
With arch rivals in the Toyota Alphard and Vellfire, the D9 comes to market as a shadow BYD brand boasting comparable features and levels of style and luxury, except that the Denza in full electric. And to many customers that means a lot. And with competitive pricing and decent range, the D9 looks like a compelling prospect.
