2026 Denza D9 in Beijing – new interior, passenger and rear screens, up to 800 km CLTC, Flash Charging

Denza’s attention may currently be placed on the Z9GT, the B8 and the forthcoming Z supercar, but it has not forgotten its seminal luxury MPV, the D9. Displayed at the recent Auto China show in Beijing, the electrified Toyota Alphard and Vellfire rival has been given a substantial mid-cycle refresh, with a mostly unchanged exterior belying an all-new interior and a comprehensive mechanical upgrade.

Indeed, to the untrained eye, the new D9 looks practically identical to before, and even the most eagle-eyed onlooker would struggle to notice the difference. The sharp headlights, the swathes of silver trim, the sail-like D-pillar, the shoulder line that sweeps downwards towards the rear bumpers and even the Space Invaders-style taillights are all as before.

There are just two minor changes – the first is that the EV’s full-height grille ditches the vertical strips in favour of flag-shaped inserts similar to the old DM-i plug-in hybrid; this is now common to both models. The second is a range of new multi-spoke wheel designs (all still caster-sized 18-inch rollers), although the one fitted to the current Malaysian-spec model is still available.

Inside is where the bulk of the visual tweaks have gone, with an all-new, much more upscale interior. A redesigned two-spoke flat-bottomed steering wheel sits ahead of a cleaner horizontal dashboard design that still houses a 10.25-inch instrument display and a 15.6-inch “floating” infotainment touchscreen.

The passenger touchscreen, only available in China, has also been upgraded; initially presented in a widescreen configuration, users can flip down the dash panel to reveal the full 15.6-inch display. Elsewhere, there are now twin vertical air vents at the corners of the dashboard and sleeker rectangular centre vents.

Meanwhile, the flying buttress centre console now houses twin Qi wireless chargers (just the one previously) and what appear to be physical air-con controls (hooray!). To free up space for all these items, the crystal gear selector has been ditched in favour of a column-mounted shifter that’s all the rage in China these days.

The second-row still gets towkay-spec “Air Spa” captain’s chairs with built-in ottomans, control touchscreens and a one-touch “zero gravity” reclining function. However, there’s now a 17.3-inch ceiling-mounted monitor, finally addressing a major omission on the outgoing model. The previous China-exclusive headrest-mounted screens have also been upgraded to 13-inch magnetic units, although there’s not seen here.

Perhaps the biggest change is to the mechanicals. The electric D9 features uprated motors – even the front-wheel-drive version makes a stout 462 PS (340 kW) and 365 Nm of torque, up from 313 PS (230 kW) and 360 Nm before. The all-wheel-drive variant adds a 95 PS (70 kW) rear motor for a total output of 557 PS (410 kW), an increase of 183 PS (135 kW).

The D9 also gains BYD’s second-generation Blade LFP battery, with a minor capacity bump from 103 kWh to 115 kWh. This results in a boost in range to 800 km on China’s lenient CLTC cycle for the FWD version and 750 km with AWD. Expect WLTP figures closer to 680 km and 640 km respectively, which would still be a big improvement over the current figures of 520 km and 480 km respectively.

Even more significant is the sharp increase in DC fast charging power, with the new battery enabling BYD’s super-fast 1,500 kW Flash Charging technology. That’s a world away from the previous maximum of 200 kW (our D9 can only do 166 kW), and that means it can charge from 10 to 70% (ready to drive, in BYD’s terms) in just five minutes, and from 10 to 97% (full charge) in nine minutes.

The PHEV variant continues to utilise a 156 PS 1.5 litre turbo four-cylinder mated to a 272 PS (200 kW) front motor and a 61 PS (45 kW) rear motor. The Blade LFP battery has been enlarged from 40 kWh to 66.5 kWh, doubling the CLTC-rated pure electric range to 401 km (which should equate to a WLTP figure of around 330 km). It too supports Flash Charging, albeit at a much slower rate.

The D9 continues to feature DiSus-C adaptive dampers and comes with BYD’s God’s Eye B (DiPilot 300) suite of driver assists in China, the latter enabling highly-automated city and highway driving and automated lane changes. Prices in the Middle Kingdom range from 389,800 yuan (RM227,700) to 489,800 yuan (RM286,200) for both EV and PHEV versions.

Also showcased at Auto China is the range-topping four-seater Pioneer variant, which takes the fight to the all-singing, all-dancing Lexus LM. As you’d expect, the rear passengers live in a lap of luxury, seated all the way back in plush wingback chairs and sealed off from the driver by a partition, with a 32-inch display able to slide up from below to complete the separation.

However, the Pioneer – solely available in DM-i form – has yet to be upgraded to the latest generation and still uses the old model’s grille and interior, nor does it get Flash Charging support. Even so, it commands quite a premium over the regular variants, priced at 600,600 yuan (RM345,900).

Outside China, the D9 EV should receive Flash Charging support soon after the Z9GT gets launched, as did the DM-i PHEV version when it got confirmed for international markets. However, the DM-i still uses the old interior, so it’s unclear if this cabin refresh will make it overseas.

GALLERY: Denza D9 Pioneer at Auto China 2026

Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.