The BYD (EV) Thread

Still no details on denza? I watched an Aussie YouTube channel about them and they said there is a backlog of new orders.

Maybe they're trying to ramp up production of the right hand drive cars before we get to see them here?

Would be nice if they would release an indication of the pricing at least.
 
CAR magazine announces 2026 Top 12 Best Buys winners

CAR magazine has announced its 2026 Top 12 Best Buys awards winners. Be sure to keep an eye out for the April 2026 issue for the full feature.

Established in 1957, CAR is South Africa’s longest-running and leading automotive platform. The brand built its reputation by providing South African consumers with relevant, unbiased, and comprehensive car-buying advice, supported by independent road test data and measurements.

Since 2000, CAR’s annual Top 12 Best Buys awards feature has distinguished itself by recognising vehicles across the South African market’s 12 most popular segments. Drawing on first-hand experience with every vehicle available in our market — from budget cars to double-cab bakkies and luxury vehicles — the focus of these awards goes beyond perceived build quality and efficiency to include value for money, aftersales support, dealership networks, and resale values for each category winner.

Proudly sponsored by Discovery Insure, Engen Xtreme and SVI Engineering, this year’s CAR Top 12 Best Buys awards once again recognised our top choices in each respective segment — Budget car, Budget crossover, Small car, Compact crossover, Midsize SUV, New-energy vehicle, Premium midsize SUV, Adventure SUV, Large SUV, Luxury, Performance, and Double-cab bakkie — before crowning our Company of the Year.

Budget car (<R260 000) — Suzuki Swift 1.2 GL+ manual
Budget crossover — Kia Sonet
Small car — Volkswagen Polo
Compact crossover — Kia Seltos
Midsize SUV — Volkswagen Tiguan
New-energy vehicle — BYD Sealion 6 Premium
Premium midsize SUV — BMW X3
Adventure SUV — Toyota Land Cruiser Prado
Large SUV — BMW X5
Luxury — Range Rover
Performance — Porsche 911 Carrera T Coupé
Double-cab bakkie — Ford Ranger
Company of the year — Chery Group South Africa

 
BYD Seal 08 promises 1,000-km range thanks to its Blade 2.0 battery

The EV market might be getting crowded, but BYD decided to drop another heavy hitter. The Chinese automaker shared details through government filings about its newest flagship sedan, the Seal 08. This car is the absolute top of the line for BYD's "Ocean" series. According to the latest regulatory documents, this large fastback is ready to hit the streets very soon.

Expect to see the Seal 08 officially launch in the second quarter of 2026. The car has a sleek "fastback" shape, with its roofline curving down smoothly all the way to the rear bumper. It follows the "Ocean-S" design style that BYD fans will find familiar. It has slim headlights and a hood with distinct ridges. If you look at the roof, you will notice a small bump - that's a LiDAR sensor, the "eye" the car uses for its "God's Eye B" assisted driving system.

The Seal 08 is certainly not a small vehicle - it measures 5,150 mm long, it is 1,999 mm wide and 1,505 mm tall. To make sure passengers have plenty of room inside, BYD gave it a long 3,030 mm wheelbase. The car sits on what appears to be 20-inch wheels with a multi-spoke design, and at the back, a single light bar stretches across the entire width of the trunk - a look that is very popular for modern EVs.

But the most talked-about feature is the battery. BYD is using its new "Blade 2.0" technology for this model. These are lithium-iron phosphate batteries, and BYD claims the Seal 08 can travel over 1,000 km on a single charge. That number comes from the CLTC testing cycle - known for being quite optimistic - but even if the real range ends up being around 700 km, it is still a massive figure.

www.arenaev.com

BYD Seal 08 promises 1,000-km range thanks to its Blade 2.0 battery

The BYD Seal 08 arrives as a high-tech flagship sedan aiming to conquer the market with its {{1,000-km}} range and ultra-fast charging.
www.arenaev.com www.arenaev.com
 
Denza B5: We drive the 677bhp Chinese Defender

BYD’s newest premium SUV arrives in the UK to shake up the luxury off-road market

Bingo! If we were playing a 2026 game of new-car bingo, I would undoubtedly have a full house with this. Chinese? Check. SUV? Check. Plug-in hybrid? Land Rover styling? Ludicrous power? Check, check and check.

This is the Denza B5. It is one of three models from BYD's new SUV sub-brand, Fangchengbao, but it will be badged as a Denza in the UK. It is positioned as a sibling to the premium brand's Z9 GT shooting brake, which is also heading to our shores.

Denza was founded in 2010 as a joint venture between BYD and Mercedes-Benz, but it is now wholly owned by the Chinese firm. The B5 uses a 'DMO Super-Hybrid Off-Road' ladder-frame platform and takes its power from a plug-in hybrid system centred around a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine with an electric motor on each axle. Together, the system pumps out up to 677bhp and 561lb ft of torque.

A sizeable, 31.8kWh battery supplies enough power for a claimed electric-only range of up to 62 miles on the WLTC cycle. As it is not yet road-legal in the UK, I only had the chance to test it on the private roads within the Goodwood estate and on the track itself.

Weighing close to three tonnes, it certainly feels its size in the corners of Goodwood’s fast and flowing circuit. There is a top-heaviness to the B5 that feels remarkably old-school. This can be attributed to a general lack of tight body control though, to be fair, a racing circuit is a harsh environment for evaluating an SUV.

It has the loft and waft we often associate with Chinese models, and from the limited amount of slow driving I managed around Goodwood's perimeter, I can confirm the low-speed ride is excellent. It seemed remarkably unfazed by gravel, potholes, muddy fields and general car-park detritus during my drive. The real test will be on the motorway, where I suspect it could feel a bit clumsy and uncoordinated.

www.autocar.co.uk

New Denza DRIVEN: This 677bhp 4x4 is not just a Defender pretender | Autocar

BYD’s newest premium SUV arrives in the UK to shake up the luxury off-road market
www.autocar.co.uk www.autocar.co.uk

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Denza Z9 GT: We drive the 858bhp Chinese Porsche Panamera

We hit the track to see if the Denza Z9 GT has the dynamic chops to worry the Porsche Panamera

Chinese carmakers are often accused of copying their European rivals, but with this - well, the tables could be turning.

The Z9 GT is the flagship model from Denza - BYD’s premium sub-brand - and arrives in Europe later this year. It is, undeniably, Porsche-adjacent.

Previously, this estate might have been considered a direct rival to the Panamera Sport Turismo and Taycan Sport Turismo. However, Porsche revealed earlier this month that it is considering merging the Taycan and Panamera into a single model line-up, offering petrol, plug-in hybrid and fully electric variants. So, perhaps BYD is ahead of the curve this time around.

The Z9 GT is sold as a saloon in China, but only the estate is bound for the UK. It is available as a 933bhp tri-motor EV too - but our test drive was in the PHEV on the Goodwood’s circuit.

This powertrain pairs a 204bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine with a 268bhp front electric motor and two 295bhp rear electric motors, delivering a combined output of 858bhp. The engine exists primarily to charge the battery that powers the motors, although it can drive the wheels directly at higher speeds.

Inside, the cabin closely resembles that of the Denza B5, which is also en route to the UK. There are three enormous screens: one for the driver, one for the passenger and a massive central display - presumably to be shared. The bulky, airline-style gear selector will be replaced by a column-mounted shifter for the UK market to free up space. At the time, the deep plum interior colour seemed odd; on reflection, it is truly bizarre. Not in an unpleasant way, but I simply cannot imagine a European buyer choosing it. The interior - like the rest of the car - is not to UK specification, but the requisite quality is certainly present.

Pulling onto the home straight from the pits, there is an immediate kick. It doesn’t quite feel like 850-odd bhp, but then the car weighs close to three tonnes. Braking for Madgwick corner, I discover that the brakes are robust, offering a fluidity and communicative feedback that breeds confidence. Turn-in is keen, with the steering in Sport mode verging on heavy. Feedback is perhaps a touch too muted, however, and I would appreciate a bit more sensation coming through the steering wheel into my digits.

www.autocar.co.uk

I tested China's 858bhp Porsche Panamera on track - here's what happened | Autocar

We hit the track to see if the Denza Z9 GT has the dynamic chops to worry the Porsche Panamera
www.autocar.co.uk www.autocar.co.uk

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BYD pulls ahead of Tesla in the race for European drivers

The European car market is changing, and a new leader is emerging pretty fast. For the second month in a row, the Chinese company BYD sold more vehicles in Europe than Tesla. This time it isn't just a small lead anymore. Data from February 2026 shows that the gap between these two EV giants is growing wider every single day.

In February, BYD registered 17,954 vehicles across Europe. During the same time, Tesla registered 17,664. Those numbers might look close, but the history behind them tells a much bigger story. Last year, Tesla had a very hard time because it had to close its factories to update the Model Y. Most people expected Tesla to bounce back strongly once the new "Juniper" version was ready, but even with the new model in stores, Tesla is barely selling more cars than it did when its factories were shut down.

Looking at the growth percentages makes the situation even clearer. BYD saw its sales jump by 162% compared to the same time last year. It went from selling 6,844 cars in February 2025 to nearly 18,000 now. Tesla, on the other hand, only grew by about 11.8%. In the European Union specifically, BYD now holds 1.8% of the entire automotive market share, while Tesla sits behind at 1.6%.

The numbers for the start of 2026 show a "chasm" forming between the two brands. In the first two months of the year, BYD has already registered 36,069 vehicles. Tesla has only reached 25,753. That means BYD is ahead by more than 10,000 cars just sixty days into the year. BYD is sprinting forward, and Tesla's sales have only increased by a tiny 0.9% year-to-date. This is especially surprising because the rest of the EV market is actually growing quite well.

Why is Tesla struggling while BYD thrives? There are a few reasons. First, BYD offers many different types of electric cars and plug-in hybrids. This gives European drivers more choices at different price points. Tesla only sells fully electric vehicles, and they only have two models officially available in Europe. Also, some shoppers are moving away from Tesla because they don't like the political things the company's owner, Elon Musk, says and does.

The broader EV market in Europe is actually doing great without Tesla's help. In countries like France and Germany, sales of battery electric cars went up by a lot - 38.5% in France and 26.3% in Germany. Even though more people are buying EVs, they aren't necessarily choosing a Tesla. Instead, they are looking at brands like BYD that keep bringing out new models and expanding their networks of local dealerships.

www.arenaev.com

BYD pulls ahead of Tesla in the race for European drivers

The latest data reveals that BYD has outperformed Tesla in European sales for two straight months, signaling a major shift in the electric vehicle market as Tesla struggles to regain its former momentum.
www.arenaev.com www.arenaev.com
 
Denza previews production-ready, 1000bhp Porsche 911 rival

Z electric supercar from China will challenge the likes of the Porsche 911 and Mercedes-AMG GT

Denza has released the first image of its new flagship sports car ahead of its unveiling at this summer's Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Part of a tie-up with long-time James Bond actor Daniel Craig, it shows the production-ready coupé largely remains faithful to the Z concept from last year's Shanghai motor show.

It's expected to serve as the crown atop the Chinese premium brand's line-up when launched in the UK, positioned above the Z9 GT shooting brake, D9 MPV and B5 SUV.

Technical details of the Z remain thin on the ground, but Denza said it has steer-by-wire technology, magnetorheological suspension and a driver-focused, tech-heavy cockpit that majors on advanced technology.

Features likely to be carried over from the Z9 GT include the ability to 'crab walk' and 'tank turn', and it's possible the Z could take that car's tri-motor electric powertrain and ramp up output beyond its 952bhp.

Shortly after the concept's unveiling, prototypes of the production car were spotted at the Nürburgring, sparking speculation that a lap record attempt and possibly a European launch were on the cards.

BYD executive vice-president Stella Li previously confirmed to Autocar that it will come to the UK.

www.autocar.co.uk

From China with shove: James Bond previews 1000bhp BYD sports coupe | Autocar

Z electric supercar from China will challenge the likes of the Porsche 911 and Mercedes-AMG GT
www.autocar.co.uk www.autocar.co.uk
 
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