Denza (of which Mercedes is a minority shareholder), the high-end division of Chinese manufacturer BYD (world number 2) unveils its new electric car, the N8. A large electric SUV not so new, since it is a new version of the Denza X, itself based on the BYD Tang. An arrival in Europe could be considered.
After BYD, which caused a sensation at the last Paris Motor Show and whose sales are doing quite well, it’s Denza’s turn to get people talking. For those who don’t know, it is simply the high-end division of the Chinese manufacturer, which has just confirmed its arrival in Europe. A few weeks earlier, it lifted the veil on its latest model, the N7 SUV.
Not really new
Today, the Asian firm born in 2012 from the alliance between BYD and Mercedes formalizes a brand new vehicle on its page Weibolocated just above the one cited just before. This is the N8, which logically takes the form of a large SUV whose dimensions have not been announced. The length should however be displayed at 4.90 meters for 1.95 wide and 1.73 meters high according to the site Car News China.
No need to be a guesser, since these are the dimensions of the current BYD Tang, on which this new Denza N8. It is actually a question ofa new version of the Denza X, launched in 2019 and which experienced a bitter commercial failure. No wonder the style vaguely reminds you of something, although some improvements have been made, in terms of the shields and the quarter panel.
As the site says CNEVPost, the new Denza N8 is available in three configurations, with five, six or seven seats. Enough to compete head-on with the Kia EV9 and other Volvo EX90s just unveiled. The wheelbase should be the same as the Denza X, with a length of 2.82 meters, which is quite suitable for accommodating passengers. The trunk volume should be similar to the Tang, which displays 940 liters.
The driving position should also be identical to the electric SUV, which is equipped with a large touch screen that can swivel, as on the other models in the range such as the Han EV and the Atto 3, also marketed in Europe. We will have to wait to find out if changes have been made to the driving position to make it a little more exclusive. Because for the record, Denza displays a more premium positioning than BYD.
What about autonomy?
For the moment, the Chinese firm has not yet revealed the technical characteristics of its new electric SUV, which expands the range alongside the D9. But we know, however, that it will be available in rechargeable hybrid, but also in electric. In this setup, it should take over the engine of the BYD Tang as well as its 86.4 kWh battery.
This offers a very disappointing range of only 400 kilometers according to the WLTP cycle, due in particular to the pachydermic weight of the electric SUV and its aerodynamics which leave something to be desired. That is a theoretical consumption of approximately 21 kWh / 100 km without taking into account the recharge losses. It is enormous.
Let’s hope that Denza has nevertheless made some improvements on this point, in order to avoid suffering another failure. In a video published by the manufacturer and relayed by CNEVPost, we see charging power announced at 175 kW.
The time required to go from 30 to 80% has not yet been formalized by the brand, but it should probably turn around the 30 minutes approximately, which is not really fast. It is likely that only the version with four-wheel drive and displaying a power of 360 kW (equivalent to about 489 horsepower) is kept on the Denza N8, which will undoubtedly display a higher price than the Tang.
It remains to be seen whether the large SUV will make its way to Europe, where BYD already offers its own model. However, this is not to be excluded, because Denza wishes to seduce the clientele of Vieux Contains, while it has recently collaborated with the French loudspeaker manufacturer Devialet. An upcoming arrival with us which should not please specialists or Brussels, which has unveiled several measures to try to counter the invasion of Chinese electric cars.
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