Denza – BYD’s premium technology-oriented automotive brand – has announced that its Z9GT grand tourer will receive an upgrade for its intelligent driving assistance system, significantly boosting its urban driving capabilities.

The Z9GT grand tourer will get an upgrade for its intelligent driving assistance system, significantly boosting its urban driving capabilities

The enhancement will be delivered via an over-the-air (OTA) update, and the announcement was made to coincide with the Paris Motor Show, where the company is currently showcasing its new European vehicle line-up.

Named City Navigation on Driving Assistant (CNOA), the feature broadens the brand’s ‘God’s Eye’ driver-assistance package beyond open roads and into city traffic. According to Denza, it is able to halt at red lights, give way at roundabouts, obey speed-limit signs, turn left, and move around vehicles parked double. It is also intended to yield to cyclists and pedestrians. Responsibility stays with the driver at all times, while the system keeps track of eye gaze, head posture and hand position.

The software has not been rolled out yet. Denza says it is currently in calibration before seeking type approval under UN Regulation R171. The Z9GT already includes the required hardware as standard equipment: one Lidar sensor, 11 cameras, three millimetre-wave radars and 12 ultrasonic sensors.

BYD executive vice president Stella Li outlined: “The necessary hardware has been fitted to the Z9GT since launch, and the software is expected to be available in 2027.”

At Paris, Denza displayed the Z in Coupe, Spider and Racing specifications. All three versions use a triple-motor setup delivering 1,604hp and 1,240Nm. The brand says the Coupe can reach 0-62mph in 2.25 seconds and 186mph, while the Racing variant, fitted with optional semi-slick tyres, drops to 1.96 seconds and climbs to 217mph.

Every car is equipped with a 76kWh battery. Denza states a range of 254 miles for the Coupe, 248 for the Spider and 236 for the Racing. It adds that its Flash Charging system can charge the battery from 10% to 97% in nine minutes. Measuring 4,780mm in length, the Z is the smallest Denza model sold in Europe. It seats four.

Bao5 brings hybrid SUV option

The Bao 5, the brand’s first SUV, joined the Zs on the Paris stand this week.

The plug-in hybrid SUV combines a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine with front and rear electric motors to produce 544hp and 760Nm. In practice, the petrol engine chiefly creates electricity for the 31.8kWh battery and the motors. Denza quotes 0-62mph in 4.8 seconds and a top speed of 112mph.

The company also gives an electric-only range of 56 miles and a combined WLTP range of 518 miles when fully fuelled and charged. Fuel economy is stated at 67.2mpg, with CO2 emissions of 94g/km. This five-seat SUV measures 4.9 metres long and rides on a ladder-frame chassis.

The Z9GT, offered as either a pure electric model or a Super Hybrid, and the D9 premium MPV rounded out Denza’s display at Paris.