BYD’s luxury arm, Denza, didn’t spend much time talking about the numbers its Z9 GT was pushing out, with three electric motors providing 1,100PS and 1,200Nm of torque.
This is the fully-electric grand tourer that Denza has in its pocket that’s just graced our Malaysian shores, now gunning for a more discerning and affluent clientele.
With a battery larger than what many urban-going electric vehicles (EVs) carry, and enough computing power to make a modern laptop seem outdated.
Instead, after getting behind the wheel of the new Z9 GT at BYD’s proving ground in Zhengzhou, China, one figure mattered far less than expected - its kerb weight.
At well over two tonnes, the Z9 GT has every reason to behave like a large luxury EV.
Yet, after several laps around the circuit and a series of high-speed handling exercises, it was apparent that Denza’s flagship grand tourer has been engineered well enough to disguise its size rather well.
First and foremost, this is not a sports car, and neither is it trying to be one.
Instead, the Z9 GT feels every bit the grand tourer it was intended to be - immensely quick, exceptionally refined and capable of covering vast distances with very little effort from its driver.
The first thing that captures the attention is the acceleration that concusses the senses.
With the foot firmly planted on the accelerator, an immediate response is delivered, unleashing everything it has without smoking the tyres.
Occupants will be met with a continuous surge of acceleration that simply refuses to ease off, pinning them to their seats with eyes wide open and struggling to comprehend the current situation, as the Z9 GT continues pulling relentlessly.
Unfortunately, the track was not long enough to try out its electronically-limited top speed, but one thing’s for certain, there’s plenty of gusto to be had, and its composure will certainly impress.
Inside, the cabin remains almost eerily quiet with just the slightness of wind flowing over the car and the lack of road noise finding its way inside, while this writer tries to drown out the panicked voice of a Denza employee while trail-braking into a corner, attempting to find the limits of the Z9 GT.
There was very little nervousness that’s usually associated with heavy, high-powered electric cars.
Instead, it simply takes the bends with a surprisingly high level of poise - almost elegant.
Whether overtaking or accelerating out of turns, the tri-motor drivetrain will seemingly always have more power in reserve than is required, as output gets consistently delivered progressively rather than aggressively, even in Sport mode.
By doing so, this makes the Z9 GT both quick and easy to drive.
Unfortunately, through tighter turns, physics will inevitably enter the picture for something that’s more than five metres in length and weighing over two tonnes.
Yet, it does manage to mask and manage it rather well, with the chassis allowing for a tighter turn-in thanks largely to the rear-wheel steering system that helps keep the car’s rear wheels properly subservient to the front.
Additionally, the Z9 GT feels noticeably smaller than its dimensions suggest, as it changes direction willingly without the cumbersome sensation normally associated with vehicles of this size.
The DiSus-A dual-chamber air suspension keeps roll well contained, allowing the car to maintain impressive composure through long sweeping turns and even quick transitions from left to right fail to upset the chassis significantly.
The low-mounted Blade Battery undoubtedly contributes here by lowering the centre of gravity, allowing the body to remain reassuringly flat even when cornering speeds increase.
The Z9 GT simply digs into the tarmac and finds traction where lesser cars and/or tyres might begin protesting.
Power cannot be applied early unless the steering comes back to a shallower angle that would unsettle its composure, while the intelligent torque management continuously shuffles power between the three motors almost imperceptibly.
Drivers will simply notice how effortlessly and undramatically the car exits each corner to a point that more enthusiastic drivers might find themselves wanting slightly more involvement.
The steering weight will build progressively as speed rises while remaining pleasantly light during slower manoeuvres, pointing to what this car is intended to be - usable for a wide range of drivers.
Unfortunately, it never completely escapes the synthetic sensation common to many modern electrically-assisted steering systems.
There is sufficient feedback to place the car confidently, but not quite enough to establish an intimate relationship between man and machine that certain European brands are more adept at providing.
Undoubtedly, the Z9 GT does everything effortlessly well with the least amount of drama, which provides a definite amount of disconnect through an obvious application of being electronically-limited.
For many buyers, this might not be so much of an issue, which helps to inspire an enormous amount of confidence without demanding significant effort from its driver.
In the braking department, slowing more than two tonnes repeatedly is never an easy task, yet the Z9 GT performs with impressive consistency.
The brake pedal delivers an immediate initial bite before progressively increasing stopping power as pressure builds.
Unlike some regenerative braking systems that can feel inconsistent and/or spongy in many cases, pedal feel remained reassuringly intuitive with little evidence of brake fade or the notion that heavy-braking would upset the balance of the car.
One such instance was the lack of unwanted pitch, allowing the driver to confidently trail-brake into tighter corners without unsettling the vehicle while dealing with higher-than-usual lateral forces to impress.
Rear passengers benefit just as much with a generous amount of legroom, thanks mostly in part to the long wheelbase and seats that come with heating, ventilation and massage functions.
It suddenly becomes easy to imagine spending several uninterrupted hours travelling in complete comfort.
For practicality, the Z9 GT’s shooting brake design does provide a useful luggage compartment while retaining the elegant proportions expected of a grand tourer.
At the end of the day, this is one vehicle that’s not about setting lap times, regardless of its high output levels.
Rather, it’s got more to do with effortlessly covering long distances in relative comfort, while providing “extensions” to its capabilities instead of making it more specialised to its function.
This way, the Z9 GT is able to appeal to a wide range of drivers, albeit with deep enough pockets to afford the asking price of some RM358,000 in Malaysia.
Although driving engagement could be improved, there’s more than enough to go around for most - especially when it’s at this price point to place it at the forefront of attraction through refinement, engineering and its outright breadth of ability.
