Denza Z9 S electric sedan revealed as smaller sibling to Australia-bound Z9 GT

The exterior of the electric Denza Z9 S sedan has been revealed in China with a similar styling and powertrains to the Z9 GT, which is due in Australian showrooms later this year with 'flash' ultra-fast charging.

According to Car News China, the Z9 S follows the same design language as the Z9 GT, courtesy of former Audi designer Wolfgang Egger who heads design for Denza and parent company BYD, but wraps it in a smaller body riding the same e3 platform.

Denza Australia told CarExpert it considers all models for local showrooms but stopped short of confirming whether the Z9 S will join the Australian lineup. The brand launched here in 2025 with the B5 and B8 off-road SUVs.

It has already confirmed the Z9 GT for Australian showrooms in the third quarter (July to September) of this year, with local buyers set to receive the electric version of the sleek wagon first, while the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) sold in China remains a possibility for a later launch.

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The newly unveiled Z9 S measures 5090mm long and rides on a 3025mm wheelbase (the distance between the front and rear axles), making it 105mm shorter than the Z9 GT, which has a 3125mm wheelbase. It's also 145mm shorter than the existing Z9 sedan.

Few technical details have been released, but Car News China reported Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) regulatory filings list three battery-electric powertrains for the Z9 S: two single-motor versions and a flagship expected to use a tri-motor setup producing 1194hp (890kW).

The flagship Z9 GT, in contrast, produces 850kW and has a 0-100km/h time of 2.7 seconds.

The filings don't confirm the tri-motor configuration or battery size of the flagship Z9 S, but the Z9 GT uses a 122.496kWh Blade 2.0 battery in its flagship grade, delivering up to 820km of range under the CLTC (China Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle). The Z9 S is rated at 780km under the same test cycle.

The Z9 S will also be offered with two single-motor powertrains in China. The entry-level version produces 320kW and uses a 102.326kWh Blade battery, matching the entry-level Z9 GT.

A more powerful rear-wheel-drive version develops 370kW while retaining the same 102.326kWh battery, with both single-motor Z9 S variants claiming up to 920km of CLTC driving range.

For comparison, the Z9 GT sold in China offers up to 1036km of CLTC range with its larger 122.496kWh battery. Australian versions are set to debut flash charging, enabling a 10 to 97 per cent recharge in as little as nine minutes.

Denza has confirmed it will install ultra-fast charging equipment at its dealerships before expanding the technology to other locations across Australia.

In China, the Z9 S rides on 19- or 20-inch alloy wheels, has a top speed of 250km/h, and is expected to offer the latest God's Eye B advanced driver assistance system (ADAS), which uses LiDAR, artificial intelligence (AI) modelling and faster processing.

Denza has also revealed the Denza Z sports car in both Spider (convertible) and Coupe body styles, an electric four-seater designed to rival the Porsche 911.

While also yet to be confirmed for Australia, the Z is available in right-hand drive, with Denza using it to spearhead the brand's launch in the United Kingdom later this year.

It comes as BYD enjoys phenomenal sales growth in Australia, falling just 243 deliveries short of displacing long-time market leader Toyota in June 2026 – a feat no car brand had come so close to achieving since Holden outsold Toyota in May 2011.

MORE: Explore the Denza showroom