Denza brand created by Daimler and BYD targeting NEV market

Daimler AG and BYD are teaming up for a joint venture. Shenzhen Denza New Energy Automotive is a bid to make the Denza brand a success in China's new energy vehicle market.

Beijing Mercedes-Benz Sales Service - a subsidiary company of Daimler - will take charge of part of the Denza's business, including sales, marketing, brand communication and customer service, on July 1. That's according to information released by the German auto giant at the 23rd Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Macao International Auto Show this month.

The auto show was held from June 1-9, in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong province.

Integrating the sales channel of Denza into Mercedes-Benz will allow more customers to access the Denza brand and its products, said Nicholas Speeks, president and CEO of BMBS.

With the support of the Mercedes-Benz dealer network, the Denza brand will enrich the choices of new energy models for Chinese customers and contribute toward future success, Speeks added.

The move is a follow-up step of the two parties' decision to increase capital for their joint venture in late May.

On May 17, BYD said that the company and its joint venture partner Daimler will each increase capital of 150 million yuan ($21.71 million) for Shenzhen Denza New Energy Automotive.

At the 2019 Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Macao auto show, an all-new Denza concept car Concept X made its world debut, displaying the two joint venture partners' shared vision and ambition for the Denza brand in the future, according to the automaker.

"It's the perfect opportunity to introduce the exciting Denza Concept X. It emphasizes our continuous commitment to the Denza brand and the important Chinese EV market," said Hubertus Troska, member of the board of management of Daimler AG responsible for China.

"With our new Denza product, we are very confident that we'll participate even more in this dynamic market."

Wang Chuanfu, chairman and president of BYD, said: "As China's first joint venture brand focusing on new energy vehicles, Denza combines the technical strength of both sides and makes positive contribution to the industry development.

"The unveiling of the all-new Denza Concept X is another milestone in the long-term, close and friendly cooperation between BYD and Daimler."

The Denza Concept X is a sevenseat sport utility vehicle, set to be delivered in early 2020.

Two variants of the model are available for customers - the plug-in hybrid electric version and the fully electric version with the top range on one charge exceeding 500 kilometers.

"Styled by Mercedes-Benz, the Concept X is an organic connection of Denza and Mercedes-Benz, which is stylish and modern," said Gorden Wagener, chief design officer at Daimler AG.

"The Concept X is a perfect example of how we imagine future Denza products to look like. About 90 percent of the design of the Denza Concept X will be applied to the production vehicle," Wagener added.

On the first day of the Shenzhen auto show, three new sports car models from Mercedes-Benz's sub-brand Mercedes-AMG also hit the market. They are the Mercedes-AMG GT with a suggested price of 1.32 million yuan, the Mercedes-AMG GT S of 1.59 million yuan and the Mercedes-AMG GT C of 1.83 million yuan.

The latest-generation AMG models are coupled with 4.0-liter V8 twin-turbocharged engines and AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT seven-speed dual-clutch transmissions, which contribute to the fast performance.

The new AMG GT C generates a maximum output of 410 kilowatts and has a top torque of 680 Newton meters, accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds.

zhangdandan@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 06/10/2019 page18)