Denza Z review

Exterior & design of the 2027 Denza Z Coupe

• Distinctive rear light clusters
• Three body styles available
• Long wheelbase for a sports car

As high-performance vehicles go, the Denza Z is a sizeable car. It has a wheelbase of 2,780mm, which the company says is similar to that of some executive saloons.

Whether that is an association worth emphasising for a model intended to challenge compact, lithe sports cars is another matter.

Still, the overall form of the Z is pleasing, even if there are hints of both the Maserati GranTurismo and Lotus Emira in its appearance.

There is enough individuality in the shape, penned by BYD's German head of design, Wolfgang Egger and his team, to make the Denza recognisable in its own right.

Highlights include a flowing shoulder line and the four flattened diamonds forming the rear-light signature.

Denza will sell the Z in three main specifications. The Coupe is the regular hard-top model, without prominent spoilers or overt visual aggression. The Spider is the convertible, retaining a 2+2 seating layout.

Finally, the Racing adds a jutting front splitter and large rear wing, stretching the car's overall length to 4,870mm. It can also be specified without rear seats and with a roll cage instead.

The Coupe and Spider have 20-inch alloy wheels, while the Racing uses 21-inch items that can optionally be fitted with semi-slick tyres.

Dimensions of the 2027 Denza Z Coupe

Length:

4,780mm (except Racing, 4,870mm)

Width:

1,975mm (except Racing, 1,990mm)

Height:

1,350mm (except Coupe, 1,330mm)

Wheelbase:

2,780mm

Paint colours for the 2027 Denza Z Coupe

There are ten colours available for the Denza Z. We do not yet have the full list of names, but buyers will not be limited to greys, silvers, blacks and whites.

More vivid choices include Le Mans Blue, the purple Nocturne, Riviera Blue, Monaco Red and the car's signature Monte Carlo Orange. Further personalisation includes four brake-calliper colours and ten interior colour combinations.

Interior of the 2027 Denza Z Coupe

• Twin screens dominate the interface
• More physical controls than expected
• Powerful Devialet sound system

The Denza Z Coupe's soft-close doors open conventionally, without gullwing or scissor mechanisms, and the supportive 12-way adjustable bucket seat is described by Denza as a Comfort item.

The front seats are heated, ventilated and massaging, and they incorporate active side bolsters to hold occupants in place through corners.

The steering column is electrically adjustable. Once behind the flat-bottomed wheel, which is pleasant to hold if perhaps slightly oversized for a car of this type, the driving position feels appropriately sporting: low-set, with a view over the Z's swooping bonnet.

There are rear seats, and these have ISOFIX mounting points, although loading bulky child seats into the second row may prove awkward.

Both the Coupe and Racing have a 250-litre boot behind the rear bench, and the seatbacks fold in a 50:50 split to increase cargo capacity to 550 litres. The Spider is less practical, with boot capacity ranging from 131-176 litres.

Screens dominate the dashboard interface. There are an 8.88-inch digital instrument display and a 12.8-inch Google built-in infotainment touchscreen on the dashboard, although the Z has more physical controls than might be expected.

These include a row of shortcuts on the centre console and numerous steering-wheel controls. We did not have enough time to assess the systems or ergonomics properly during this track drive, so a thorough appraisal will have to wait.

Material quality looks and feels good, and there is plenty of standard technology. A wireless smartphone charging pad and a powerful 12-speaker Devialet sound system - reduced to ten speakers in the Spider - are fitted at no extra cost, for example.

Performance of the 2027 Denza Z Coupe

• Triple motors produce up to 1,604hp
• Coupe reaches 100km/h in 2.25 seconds
• Racing can manage 1.96 seconds

All three versions of the Denza Z use the same triple-motor layout. A 500kW motor drives the front axle, while a pair of 340kW motors powers the rear wheels individually.

In familiar output terms, the front motor produces 680hp and 440Nm, while each rear motor develops 462hp and 400Nm. The combined maximum system outputs are 1,604hp and 1,240Nm.

The all-wheel-drive sports car is therefore exceptionally fast in a straight line. The Coupe and standard Racing accelerate from 0-100km/h in 2.25 seconds and have a top speed of 300km/h.

The slightly heavier Spider - which weighs 2.3 tonnes, compared with 2,230kg for the Coupe and 2,250kg for the Racing - takes 2.3 seconds, while retaining the same top speed.

The Racing does not need the optional roll cage and rear-seat-delete configuration to go faster. Fitting the semi-slick tyres reduces its 0-100km/h time to 1.96 seconds and raises the top speed to 350km/h. At that speed, the large rear wing and front splitter are capable of generating 1,069kg of downforce.

Denza has also confirmed that a Special Edition model is in development. It features "race-grade, dual-layer composite bodywork, including panels made completely from carbon fibre".

A drag-reduction system incorporating an active front diffuser and rear-wing flap are said to cut aerodynamic resistance by 40 per cent, while peak downforce exceeds 2,000kg at 300km/h.

The Denza Z Special Edition also has "track-grade" thermal management for the powertrain and battery, improving cooling performance by 180 and 30 per cent respectively compared with the other Z models according to Denza.

System power rises beyond 2,000hp and the official 0-100km/h time is less than 1.7 seconds.

Driving the Denza Z Coupe on Goodwood Circuit

Words by Matt Robinson on 16 July 2026

Returning to the regular models - a relative term for a 1,604hp electric car - we were given a few laps of the Goodwood circuit in a Z Coupe, accompanied by a racing instructor.

The three-motor arrangement is part of what Denza calls the 'e3 Sports Car Platform'. It features torque-vectoring through the independently driven rear wheels, controlled by the Vehicle Motion Control central hub.

This monitors braking, suspension and steering, with a quoted signal-transmission time of ten milliseconds.

The Z is also fitted with carbon-ceramic brake discs, gripped by six-piston front and four-pot rear callipers, and it has DiSus-M magnetorheological dampers - which are said to be able to change their viscosity in mere milliseconds to adjust both compression and rebound in the chassis.

Speaking of which, the Z has double-wishbone front and a multilink rear suspension configuration.

Our track sessions consisted of two runs of three laps: a warm-up lap, one flying lap and a cooldown lap for the brakes. Our first run was compromised by a slower car ahead, which we were not permitted to overtake.

Even at lower speeds, there was much to like. The steering is among the most natural-feeling and well-weighted systems we have tried from a Chinese manufacturer, and it is connected to an eager front end that turns towards the apex with an agility that belies the car's weight of more than 2.2 tonnes.

The steering also feels more organic and less digital than that of the Yangwang U9 we drove in China in 2025, despite Yangwang and the U9 being positioned above Denza and the Z.

The DiSus-M suspension also impressed, allowing the Z to flow with the bumpy surface of the Goodwood circuit. A racetrack is nowhere near as pockmarked as a typical country back road, so we cannot yet say whether its ride comfort or body and wheel control will be exemplary in those conditions.

At Goodwood, however, the Z remained flat, with minimal lean, pitch or dive, and it did not skitter or hop over the circuit's significant undulations.

Our first run left us with little idea of what the full 1,604hp felt like. Denza therefore allowed us a second run, which proved more revealing.

We have not experienced the Z's full standing-start acceleration, which is likely to present its performance most dramatically. However, based on acceleration while already moving, we would have estimated its output at nearer 800-1,000hp than 1,600hp.

That is not to suggest it feels slow. The progressive way it delivers its power under full acceleration is undeniably impressive, and it deploys its substantial output to the Continental tyres effectively. We sensed little movement from the rear when applying the accelerator early out of Goodwood's tighter corners, for instance.

There is also a relentless quality to the way the Z gains speed from 130-220km/h, hinting at its enormous output. Some 500-600hp cars begin to feel less forceful in the 160-200km/h range, but the Denza continues to accelerate strongly.

Even so, it did not feel as dramatic as its figures suggest. The Z is undoubtedly extremely fast, and we liked its simulation of a combustion powertrain: in Track mode, it produces sounds and introduces torque interruptions to mimic an engine and gearbox.

On this first and admittedly limited evidence, however, it did not feel appreciably faster than a Porsche 911 Turbo S with 711hp.

There was also one unsettling moment through the fast, flat left-hand kink on the Lavant Straight, where the torque-vectoring, steering and DiSus-M suspension appeared to fall out of sync at 200-210km/h.

The Denza felt as though it was corkscrewing towards the outside of the track and adding steering lock while easing off the accelerator did not immediately settle it.

The experience leaves a question over the chassis calibration, though we will reserve judgement until we can assess the car more thoroughly on road and track.

The carbon-ceramic brakes were impressive, though. They are powerful and have good pedal feel, and the car remained stable under maximum deceleration. The brakes also disguised the 2,230kg kerb weight effectively and remained dependable on repeated approaches to Woodcote Corner.

Range, battery and charging of the 2027 Denza Z Coupe

• 76kWh usable battery capacity
• DC charging at up to 1.5MW
• Official range exceeds 400km

Denza has not equipped the Z with an especially large battery, presumably to keep its weight below 2.5 tonnes.

This limits the maximum range, which will fall rapidly if the performance is used frequently. The advantage is exceptional charging capability through BYD's 'Flash' system.

Battery options and official range

All three announced versions of the Z use an LFP 'Blade' battery with 76kWh of usable energy capacity. Official range is 380km for the Racing, 399km for the Spider and up to 409km for the Coupe.

Charging up the 2027 Denza Z Coupe

On three-phase AC power, the Denza Z charges at up to 11kW, so a full charge should take about eight hours. Using a 7.4kW home wallbox would increase that to 11-12 hours.

The Denza Z also supports BYD's Flash charging on DC power. At a compatible charger, it can accept up to 1,500kW, or 1.5MW.

Denza says a 10-70 per cent charge takes five minutes, while charging from 10-97 per cent takes nine minutes.

Those figures are far beyond the capabilities of current 800-volt rivals, although compatible public chargers will initially be scarce.

Irish pricing & rivals to the 2027 Denza Z Coupe

• Irish pricing and availability unconfirmed
• Expected to be expensive
• Few directly comparable rivals

Denza has not confirmed Irish pricing or launch plans. UK prices place the Coupe at roughly 50 per cent more than an entry-level 394hp Porsche 911 Carrera, bringing it closer to the Porsche 911 GT3.

Even the range-topping 711hp, 800Nm Turbo S falls far short of the Denza's outputs, but the Porsche remains a formidable rival for the Chinese newcomer.

Other competitors include rare and extremely expensive electric hypercars such as the Rimac Nevera and Lotus Evija, which offer similar on-paper performance.

More attainable alternatives include the Maserati GranTurismo and GranCabrio, the forthcoming Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe, the Audi RS e-tron GT performance and the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT.

Verdict - what are our initial thoughts on the 2027 Denza Z Coupe?

The Denza Z is a technically impressive statement of intent, and there is much to admire about the electric sports coupe. It has extraordinary straight-line performance, and the chassis shows considerable promise, but this brief first drive also raised a couple of concerns.

Its acceleration did not feel as dramatic as the 1,604hp output suggests, while the unusual torque-vectoring behaviour experienced at high speed requires further investigation.
Nevertheless, we are keen to spend more time in the Denza Z and assess its abilities more thoroughly on road and track.