For the longest time, the luxury van market has been mainly dominated by one brand and model. Well, two if you count its more opulent (and not to mention more expensive) twin.
But now, other manufacturers want to take a slice of that market, and the luxury vans they’re offering have some serious potential. One of those is Denza. And the first model they’re launching in the Philippines? The D9.
It’s no secret that the Denza D9 is essentially a more luxurious version of the BYD eMAX 9 we experienced a few months back. With that in mind, I expected the D9 to be more or less similar to the eMAX 9 in terms of size and powertrain.
Exterior
First things first, let’s talk about the styling. The Denza D9 has a lot of road presence at the front with its huge grille and the silver accents surrounding it. Also worth mentioning are the long LED DRLs that run from the headlights down to the lower half of the bumper.
I find the design of the front end of the D9 to be a bit over the top, but others might say otherwise. But of course, do share what you think in the comments below.
Along the side, the D9 rides on 18-inch wheels, which look very small for the van. I do wish Denza fitted the larger 20-inch wheels to make it look more stylish, but that would mean sacrificing a bit of comfort. Still, with its suspension, having the 20-inch wheels wouldn’t be a problem.
The front doors feature a soft-close function, while the rear sliding doors are fully automatic. I don’t even need to pull the door handle to open and close the rear doors either. All I need to do is push a button. Though it’s a bit hard to tell from the photos, the D9 is quite a long vehicle.
The back of the Denza D9 is a lot subtle as compared to the front. There’s a long, full-width LED taillight with some nice design element, and that’s pretty much it. I like the clean look with just the DENZA wording above the taillight.
Overall, it’s a nice-looking van. In darker colors, it would easily fly under the radar wherever you go.
Interior
Of course, the inside of the Denza D9 is where all of the magic happens, especially the second row. But even as a driver, I didn’t feel that it was lacking. There’s still a lot of creature comforts to make driving the van comfortable.
In front of the driver is a 12-inch digital instrument cluster where most of the vehicle parameters can be seen. It’s a bit thin for my liking, but it does the job. It doesn’t feel cluttered either, which is nice.
Beside the instrument cluster is a 15.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It’s also here where you adjust almost all of the vehicle functions, and yes, that includes the air-conditioning controls.
Speaking of the air conditioning, I’m glad that the Denza D9 uses physical vents instead of having to control it via the infotainment like the one on the BYD eMAX 9. It’s so much more convenient and not to mention ergonomic. Just point the vent where I want it to; it’s that simple.
While most of the vehicle’s functions are adjusted via the infotainment, some functions can be adjusted using the physical buttons on the center console. It’s only a few buttons, but it’s enough for me.
Not to mention the front seats are comfy, and it’s a nice place to be in with lots of soft-touch materials and even fancy-looking wood trim all around the dashboard.
But still, the best place to be in the D9 is the second row. It features zero gravity seats that can fully recline, allowing me to relax. It’s similar to a business class suite seats on planes. No doubt this is where I want to be.
I can even control a lot of functions of the D9 via the touchscreen controller on the armrest. From the aircon controls to the seating position and even changing the music, all of that can be done there.
There’s also a table if you need to get stuff done, and even a mini-fridge with temperatures going down to -6 degrees Celsius. A great place to store refreshments, especially if you’re stuck in Manila traffic.
I definitely felt like a boss sitting in the second row, especially with the seats in zero gravity mode. I definitely need to test this more once I get a chance to fully review this vehicle, and I’m sure Carlos would be very impressed with the seats, too.
While there is a third row, it’s arguably the least comfortable place to be in. I did fit in the third row without problems, but that’s assuming the second row seat isn’t reclined. If the person sitting in the 2nd row wanted to unwind, then you’re in a tight spot.
Performance and Driving
I only had a few hours with the Denza D9 during the pre-launch test drive event, but it was enough to give me an idea of how the van would handle on the road.
It’s not exactly sporty (I mean, it is a van), but it handles quite decently when turning. There’s not a lot of body roll, and it has a lot to do with the DiSus-C suspension system fitted onto the D9.
The D9 feels planted, and more importantly, comfortable when turning, braking, and even accelerating. Even when going over bumps, I barely felt any of it. It is by far one of the better riding vans I’ve driven and ridden in.
As for the powertrain, it packs a 1.5L turbocharged 4-cylinder under the hood paired with two electric motors, giving it a combined output of 401 HP and 681Nm torque. It’s fast, easily accelerating off the line.
What we were told, though, is that the Denza D9 has 180km of pure electric driving range. As for the combined range, it’s 980km. We will definitely be testing that out once we get our hands on a review unit for the D9.
Initial Impressions
Overall, I was quite pleased with my first experience with the Denza D9. It’s definitely a more refined and luxurious version of the BYD eMAX 9, especially with the zero-gravity seats and the touch screen control on the armrest.
One thing is for certain: you will need a driver to properly utilize this van. If you’re going to be the one driving, you will lose out on a lot of the creature comforts and amenities available in the second row.
As for the price, the Denza D9 will retail for PHP 4,298,000. Best of all, the first 300 buyers can get the D9 at a special introductory price of PHP 3,998,000.
For everything that it offers, it’s a reasonable price. But the better question is this: will the lower price point convince buyers to switch from the ever-popular A and L vans? Only time will tell.
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