Denza Z9GT RHD Malaysia preview – 2nd-gen BYD Blade battery, 1,156 PS, 600 km WLTP, Flash Charging

Just two weeks on from the Malaysian launch of the B8 plug-in hybrid 4×4, Denza has previewed the Z9GT at the Sime Motors MotorExpo at The Arch Galeries today. Unlike previous appearances, the luxury electric wagon is being shown here in right-hand-drive form, meaning that a local launch is imminent.

The car seen here is also the latest 2026 model, as evidenced by the roof-mounted lidar sensor and new 20-inch Y-spoke alloy wheels shod with Continental EcoContact 7 tyres. No change to the rest of the exterior – you still get a long and low body with dual-bar LED headlights, a hockey-stick graphic at the side housing fake front fender vents, and wide taillights with hourglass-shaped graphics.

Inside, there’s a new three-spoke flat-bottomed steering wheel and a column-mounted gear selector, plus a lightly reconfigured centre console with repositioned physical controls and additional storage. The rest of the cabin is largely unchanged, still featuring a 17.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, a 50-inch augmented reality head-up display and twin 13.2-inch driver and passenger displays. The car you see here isn’t fitted with the optional side-view cameras and associated screens.

Elsewhere, you get fine-grade leather upholstery and light-smoked wood decor, plus powered, heated, ventilated and massaging front seats with active side bolsters that use the same air as the suspension – a claimed world first. The rear seats are just as feature packed and come with extended leg rests.

Also fitted are built-in fridges at the front and rear (here in a lovely but easy to stain brown and white colour scheme), a panoramic glass roof, four-zone auto air con, three 50-watt Qi wireless chargers (two at the front, one at the rear) and a 20-speaker, 1,150-watt Devialet sound system with Dolby Atmos surround sound. Behind the rear seats is a 495 litre boot, and there’s also a 53 litre front boot.

Bigger changes can be found under the skin. The Z9GT still uses a three-motor all-wheel drive setup, with the front motor producing an unchanged 313 PS (230 kW) and 430 Nm of torque. However, the rear motors now each produce 422 PS (310 kW) and 400 Nm, resulting in a total system output some 191 PS (140 kW) and 100 Nm higher at a astonishing 1,156 PS (850 kW) and 1,210 Nm.

So equipped, the Z9GT takes seven tenths of a second out of the zero-to-100 km/h time, which it completes in just 2.7 seconds on its way to a top speed of 269 km/h. The car also the first sold globally to be fitted with BYD’s second-generation Blade LFP battery, with the capacity increasing from 100 kWh to 122.49 kWh.

The result is a WLTP range of 600 km, which is on par with the old car’s 630 km – despite that figure on China’s much more lenient CLTC cycle. A rear-wheel-drive variant will be rolled out globally at the end of the year, offering up to 805 km of range.

Perhaps even more important than the range increase is the massive boost in charging performance, with the battery able to support the company’s new 1,500 kW (!) Flash Charging technology. Thanks to a specialised DC fast charger, the Z9GT can be topped up from 10 to 70% (ready to drive, BYD says) in only five minutes, and from 10 to 97% (basically a full charge) in just nine minutes.

Charging at those speeds requires the use of these bespoke Flash Charging stations – a self-operated network similar to Tesla’s Superchargers. Having already built 5,000 such stations in China, BYD aims to furnish 6,000 of them globally within the next 12 months. Could Malaysia be the recipient of these chargers? It’s certainly possible, considering that the tech supports the use of battery energy storage systems (BESS) to avoid putting a huge strain on the national grid.

Aside from the EV version, the Z9GT is also offered in Dual Mode (DM) plug-in hybrid guise. This utilises a 173 PS/320 Nm 2.0 litre turbo four-cylinder petrol engine and three less powerful motors for a total output of 776 PS (570 kW) and 1,035 Nm. It completes the century sprint slightly slower at 3.6 seconds, has a pure EV range of 203 km from its 63.82 kWh battery, and has a total range of 805 km. It too supports Flash Charging with the same charging times, albeit almost certainly at much slower speeds.

With the smorgasbord of technologies on board – and the import and excise duties applied to CBU fully-imported EVs starting this year – don’t expect the Z9GT to come cheap. In Europe, the car is priced starting at €117,500 in EV form, which equates to a whopping RM548,200. Still, are you excited for a top-of-the-line, no-expenses-spared BYD? Let us know in the comments.

GALLERY: 2026 Denza Z9GT PHEV in Beijing

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