DENZA, BYD Auto's premium subsidiary brand, officially makes its entry into Malaysia.

Its arrival is accompanied by the launch of the seven-seater D9 all electric multi-purpose vehicle (e-MPV).

The model is available locally in two variants: Advanced front wheel-drive (FWD) and Premium all-wheel drive (AWD), priced at RM259,000 and RM309,000, respectively.

Prices include a newly revealed cross-border after-sales warranty service that covers Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

Early bird adopters will also be entitled to exclusive launch privileges which covers a free 22 kW wallbox with installation, free 6-years or 120,000km service (whichever comes first), free Denza neck and waist exclusive pillow, and a free exclusive Denza luggage.

The D9 comes with a 3,110 mm wheelbase and is 1,920 mm in height, 1,950 mm wide and 5,250 mm long. Boot space is 410 litres and expandable up to 2,310 litres with the rear seats folded.

The Advanced FWD comes with a front-mounted electric motor that delivers 308 hp and 360 Nm of torque. Its century sprint is said to clock in at 9.5 seconds and the model has a maximum range of 600 km (NEDC).

The more powerful Premium AWD packs 369 hp and 470 Nm that translates to a 0-100 km/h acceleration at 6.9 seconds at a reduced 580 km (NEDC) range.

Both are equipped with adaptive dampers (a Frequency Selective variable damping suspension for the FWD and a DiSus-C Intelligent Damping Body Control System for the AWD) and come with the same 103 kWh Blade lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery unit.

It accepts up to 166 kW of DC fast charging and 11 kW of AC charging power - DC charging allows 30-80% in 30 minutes with 10 mins providing up to 150 km of range.

Standard to the two are automatic LED headlights, LED tail lights, 18-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels, powered front and sliding doors, keyless entry, push-button start, remote vehicle and AC start, a panoramic glass sunroof, a three-zone independent climate control system, ambient lighting, a PM2.5 air cleaning system with a negative ion purifier, and a powered tailgate.

Only the AWD model gets a head-up display.

Cabin is equipped with a 15.6-inch central touchscreen infotainment display that supports wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a 10.25-inch digital instrument screen, a 14-speaker Dynaudio audio system, three 50 watt wireless charging pads, six USB ports, and a mini 6.8 litre fridge with dual temperature control - accessible from the second row.

There's premium leather upholstery and fabric headlining for the interior, with the front seats being eight-way power-adjustable and ventilated, while the second-row are 10-way adjustable captain seats - each with their own digital screens at the armrest with heating-ventilation and 10-point massage functions. Third-row seats are four-way manually-adjustable.

Additional to the AWD are front seat massage and driver’s side memory, Nappa leather upholstery, real wood veneer trim and textured suede headlining.

Safety and advance driver assist comes in the form of eight airbags, four Isofix mounts across the second and third rows and ADAS that packs adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, front and rear cross traffic alert with auto brake, rear collision warning, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist and high beam assist - supported by at least 5mm wave radars, eight ultrasonic radars, four surround cameras and a driver monitoring camera.

Exterior comes in either Arctic White, Whale Sea Blue and Cosmos Black while the interior is available in a mixture of black and brown or black and beige.