2025 BYD Denza D9 review: Quick drive
Denza is about to go on the hunt for Kia Carnival, Zeekr 009 and Lexus LM buyers.
The luxury offshoot of Chinese mega brand BYD is looking at bringing the D9 people mover to Australia as a luxury offering with some high-tech powertrain options on the table.
At a preview drive in China I tested out the Denza D9 DM-i plug-in hybrid (PHEV), and while it mightn't look like a cutting-edge option, the powertrain and drive experience were surprising.
How much does the BYD Denza 9 cost?
There is no confirmation yet that the D9 is coming to Australia, but in China it is priced between 339,800 and 600,600 yuan, or approximately A$72,750 to $128,500.
The former pricing is for the DM-i plug-in hybrid model, while the high-end option is the fully electric model. It is understood that, if the D9 was released in Australia, it would be a plug-in hybrid first and foremost, with a limited market for $130,000-pus electric people movers here…
That space is currently occupied by the Zeekr 009, and the LDV Mifa 9 – neither of which have seen significant cut-through or sales volume in Australia. Oh, and the Lexus LM range, which kicks off at $160,000 or so for a plug-free hybrid.
The big-name in the Aussie market, though, is the Kia Carnival, which accounts for more than 80 per cent of all new people movers sold in the market.
But that is the official new-vehicle number, and doesn't include the grey-import market for Toyota Alphard and Vellfire vehicles – reportedly tallying 599 units in 2024.
That, according to BYD/Denza insiders, could be the market segment that this car will aim at. In other words, above a high-spec Carnival hybrid ($76,630 plus on-roads) but below the aforementioned six-figure electric MPVs.
In China, it has a heap of standard equipment, and comes with a 2+2+3-seat layout with middle-row captain's chairs.
Have your say in the comments – what should the D9 cost, if it comes Down Under?
What is the BYD Denza 9 like on the inside?
Up front there are screens aplenty.
The driver gets an older-style 10.25-inch instrument display with a heap of at-a-glance information on offer, while the central touchscreen is a decent 15.6 inch unit with a number of key controls managed through it.
There is climate control adjustment for all three rows of seating available through the screen, and handily that part of the menu system stays docked at the bottom as well.
It is a deep tech setup with dozens of menus on offer, but I didn't have much time to play with it.
The test vehicle had a second 10.25-inch touchscreen for the front passenger, with connected services allowing live streaming (and the back seat screens have that, too).
Thankfully there are numerous useable physical controls as well, including buttons for the sliding rear doors and a number of other features. One that might get a lot of use is the button on the steering wheel to bring up the surround-view camera.
It feels plush and comfortable, but also practical. There are cupholders between the seats, a console storage area, and a hidden shelf below the 'bridge' between the seats.
The test vehicle featured down pillows for front and middle-row occupants, and the driver gets a digital camera mirror system to see out the back, as the rear-view mirror can appear crowded with a few faces on board.
Second-row riders are spoiled.
There are 50W wireless charging smartphone docks, USB-C charging ports, and touchscreens to adjust heating, cooling, massage and media settings. It's a very plush place to sit.
There is a fridge that opens to second-row occupant too, with temperature adjustable between -6°C and +50°C – so you can keep your choccy milks cool or your sausage rolls hot.
There are media screens for rear riders as well, and the overall comfort and entertainment experience is clearly aimed at the two in the middle row of seats.
The biggest concern for potential buyers of this car could be that very seat layout.
It has a 2+2+3 design, with the centre row seating being focused on luxuriousness rather than outright practicality, and that means those buckets don't slide forward to allow third-row access.
Instead, you're expected to (be small enough to) slither between the captain's chairs to access the very back. It's manageable, but it certainly makes the slide/fold setup of MPVs like the Carnival seem simply elegant.
Admittedly, no Carnival has the level of plushness the captain's chairs here have. But I'm not so sure that is as important as easy third-row access.
Once in the very back row, the space is decent but not mindblowing. With the middle-row seating set for me to have a good amount of room, I was a bit cramped in the very back (at 182cm/6'0').
My knees were just brushing the lovely leather-accented trim and my toes were tightly positioned under the seat, but there are great amenities in the back.
Third-row passengers get things like cupholders (x4), pockets on the middle-row seatbacks (x6), USB-C ports (x2), electric sliding and reclining for the seats, and even third-row seat heating and cooling!
There's also a flip-down armrest, and it would make a more comfortable six-seater than seven-seater, I'd say. Additionally, there are ISOFIX child seat anchor points in the window seats for both rear rows, and top-tethers, of course, too.
Boot space varies between 390 litres with the third row upright to a claimed 2310L with the rear rows of seating folded away.
Again, it isn't as cleverly packaged as a Carnival when it comes to the boot area, as those very rear seats cannot be folded down into the floor area, meaning you'll have to plonk stuff on top if you need to take a lot of stuff with you.
What's under the bonnet?
Here are the specs of the Denza D9 DM-i, which is the model we had a chance to test… which probably wasn't by accident.
And if you're curious, here are the EV version's specs:
Which would you be keener to see here? Have your say in the comments.
How does the BYD Denza 9 drive?
My drive of the D9 was brief, so this part of the review will be, too.
What I learned after a couple of laps of a carpark with a marked course and hundreds of witches hats was that this is a better handling thing than you'd think. It's a 2.7-tonne bus after all, but it hustles.
With a MacPherson front suspension setup and multi-link rear-end with adaptive damping, there was a level of driveability that I wasn't expecting from the D9.
Of course it exhibits some body roll – in fact, it exhibits a lot of body roll. But the way that it ties corners together is impressive, with steering that is involving and direct, with trustworthy responsiveness.
I had more fun than I expected to while pushing it through a slalom and attempting some tighter twists and turns.
And the powertrain is superb, too. With a strong surge of torque from the electric motors at low speeds, the petrol engine kicks into life at about 70km/h, making for strong continued progress as pace climbs.
There is a positive feel to the brake as well, despite it possessing a less aggressive regenerative braking system than you might expect – there's no single-pedal driving option.
I didn't really attempt any parking manoeuvres, but the camera and sensor array made me feel confident it would be a simple thing to pilot into a spot, despite its size.
What do you get?
Full specs and details aren't known yet, but below is a guide as to what the Chinese-spec model has.
2025 Denza D9 equipment highlights:
LED lighting
18-inch alloy wheels
10.25-inch LCD instrument cluster
Leather accented trim
Heated and ventilated front seats
Massaging front seats
Memory settings
Heated and ventilated second-row seats
Massaging second-row seats
Heated and ventilated third-row window seats
Electric seat adjustment for first, second and third rows
15.6-inch central touchscreen
Satellite navigation with connected services
16-speaker Devialet sound system
Front passenger touchscreen
2 x 12.8-inch rear seat entertainment screens
Wireless charging
Dual sunroofs
Climate control air-con
Console refrigerator
Is the BYD Denza 9 safe?
The Denza D9 has a heap of standard safety gear fitted, as you'd expect – but it hasn't been tested by ANCAP or Euro NCAP, naturally.
It runs the DiPilot 300 ADAS system, with the following sensors included:
Front and rear parking sensors
360-degree surround view camera
12 exterior cameras
12 ultrasonic radars
5 millimetre-wave radars
1 Lidar
In-car camera
All-speed adaptive cruise control
Level 2 autonomous driving – including city and highway road
It also has dual front, driver's knee, front side, rear side, and full-length curtain airbags.
How much does the BYD Denza 9 cost to run?
It is expected that Denza will hit our market with a strong warranty offering – possibly mirroring that of parent company BYD at six years or 150,000km.
Battery pack warranty will be eight years, as is the industry standard. Servicing details and roadside coverage are yet to be determined.
CarExpert's Take on the BYD Denza 9
The Denza D9 is a plush and premium feeling people mover.
It perhaps isn't as practical as a Kia Carnival, but it has a plug-in hybrid system that sets it apart.
Should it make its way Down Under with competitive price positioning, the Denza D9 could be very intriguing for families and fleet customers alike.
MORE: Everything BYD
Pros
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Drives better than you'd think!
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Cons
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- 7NEWS
BYD Seal 06 mid-size PHEV sedan, wagon could battle Toyota Camry in Australia
The BYD Seal 06 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) sedan will be joined by a PHEV wagon in China late this month, and BYD Australia says the model line is an ideal candidate for local showrooms. Priced identically to the BYD Dolphin electric hatch in China – which starts at $29,990 drive-away in Australia – the Seal 06 DM-I could potentially usurp the Hyundai i30 to become Australia's cheapest sedan. 'The Seal 06 being a DM [hybrid] product, there's a very strong appetite for hybrids and plug-in hybrids in Australia, so yes, something like that in our lineup would be fantastic,' BYD Australia product lead Sajid Hasan told CarExpert. The Seal 06 DM-I wagon – the first PHEV wagon that BYD has produced – was shown at the 2025 Shanghai motor show in April. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. It's scheduled to join the Seal 06 sedan in Chinese showrooms in the coming weeks after the sedan was launched in 2024. While the Seal 06 is also offered with an electric powertrain, it's the plug-in hybrid sedan and wagon BYD Australia has a keen eye on. 'Positioning of that model in the lineup would be on the more affordable end of things like in China, so you imagine that that would have a nice role in Australia as well,' Mr Hasan told CarExpert. The Seal 06 has already been confirmed for right-hand drive production. It would join BYD's growing lineup of PHEVs in Australia, which includes the mid-size Sealion 6 SUV that was Australia's best-selling PHEV in 2024. Confusingly, despite the name the Seal 06 is not a replacement for the existing Seal electric sedan sold in Australia, but is a different vehicle adding 30mm in length and 35mm more height. The Seal 06 sedan has a 2790m wheelbase – compared to a Toyota Camry at 2825mm – and is 4830mm long, 1875mm wide and 1495mm high. The Seal 06 DM-I wagon is around 20mm longer, 15mm higher and 10mm wider, but full specifications have not yet been made public. The Seal 06 DM-I sedan is priced from ¥99,800 in China ($21,300) – the same starting price as the BYD Dolphin, which is $29,990 drive-away in Australia. The wagon goes on sale in June 2025 and is expected to cost from ¥109,800 ($23,421). Meanwhile, the sedan is offered in five grades with the top-spec version costing ¥139,800 ($29,820). There are two different output hybrid powertrains across the range for both the sedan and wagon. For the sedan, they both use a 74kW/126Nm 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, but with a 120kW/210Nm front axle electric motor on lower-spec and a 160kW/260Nm motor on higher model grades. The entry-level 10.08kWh battery is also replaced with a 15.87kWh version for higher-spec versions, with electric-only range increasing from 80km (CLTC) to 120km (CLTC). Combined fuel economy claims are 2.9L/100km and 3.08L/100km for the two different hybrid powertrains. There are currently no medium or large PHEV passenger cars offered in Australia by mass-market brands, though the Toyota Camry hybrid – despite its lack of plug-in capability – presents as a logical competitor. Skoda is also launching a PHEV version of its Superb. BYD continues to expand its product lineup in Australia after it announced it would take over local distribution from importer EVDirect. Since the announcement, it has appointed former Honda Australia director Stephen Collins as its chief operating officer and confirmed the Atto 2 small SUV as well as its first seven-seat SUV, the Sealion 8, for local showrooms.
