BYD Unveils Luxury Sports Car as Competition Heats Up at China’s Largest Auto Show
Chinese electric vehicle powerhouse BYD has debuted a new luxury sports car under its premium Denza brand, furthering its push into the high-end automotive market and intensifying competition with global luxury names like Porsche and Mercedes-Benz.
The sleek deep-blue model, known simply as the Denza Z, was unveiled Wednesday at Auto Shanghai, the country’s largest auto exhibition. The show, held in China’s financial capital, drew a mix of domestic and international carmakers all vying for attention with bold reveals, glitzy displays, and press events.
The Denza Z’s unveiling, led by BYD founder Wang Chuanfu, highlights the company’s ambitions to dominate not only the affordable EV segment but also the premium space traditionally ruled by Western automakers. The new model had been generating buzz for months following leaked images and hints that it would showcase top-tier technology and design.
Founded over a decade ago as a joint venture with Mercedes-Benz, Denza is now wholly owned by BYD. The brand recently entered the European market and aims to position itself as a serious contender in the global luxury EV arena.
“BYD plays offense relentlessly,” said Tu Le, managing director at Sino Auto Insights. “With frequent vehicle launches and unmatched cost efficiency, they’re able to undercut competitors and keep them on edge.”
BYD’s entry into the luxury segment comes at a challenging moment for legacy brands. Porsche, for instance, reported a 28% drop in sales in China last year, blaming ongoing economic difficulties.
While pricing for the Denza Z has yet to be announced, the brand’s previous premium release – the N9 SUV – entered the market last month at 389,800 yuan ($53,453). This contrasts sharply with BYD’s mass-market Song Plus SUV, which starts at approximately $18,500.
In addition to Denza, BYD is also pushing its ultra-luxury Yangwang brand, aimed at the million-yuan price range. The company showcased its latest Yangwang model, the U8L SUV, at the same auto show.
The wave of new launches caps a period of rapid growth for BYD. The Shenzhen-based automaker has already surpassed Tesla in global EV sales and is aiming to double its international deliveries to over 800,000 vehicles in 2025. In the first quarter of this year alone, BYD sold over a million new-energy vehicles, reflecting a 60% year-on-year surge.
Last year, BYD posted $107 billion in revenue, delivering more than 4.27 million vehicles – a mix of battery electric and hybrid models. Tesla, by comparison, reported $97.7 billion in sales and delivered 1.79 million fully electric vehicles.
Tesla’s market share in China currently stands at 6.1%, according to the China Passenger Car Association. While Tesla remains dominant in pure EVs, BYD’s hybrid offerings give it broader reach in the domestic market.
BYD has also been pushing hard on innovation. In recent months, it rolled out “God’s Eye,” an advanced driver-assistance feature touted as a rival to Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system, and a new charging technology that can deliver 250 miles of range in just five minutes – well ahead of Tesla’s 15-minute, 200-mile capability.
The breakneck pace of development in China’s EV sector was further underscored by battery manufacturer CATL’s unveiling this week of a new battery with a projected range of 320 miles – outpacing even BYD’s latest tech.
As U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration escalates trade tensions, imposing steep tariffs on Chinese car imports, BYD is shifting focus toward local production abroad to maintain its global edge. Meanwhile, the European Union’s duties on Chinese EVs and lingering market barriers in the U.S. continue to complicate expansion efforts.
Still, BYD’s latest moves reinforce its position as a juggernaut in the global EV race – one that’s not just catching up to its Western rivals, but redefining the future of the automotive industry.
