Denza 500 – new Daimler-BYD EV with 500 km range

Denza 500 – new Daimler-BYD EV with 500 km range

Daimler and its China partner BYD Automotive Industry have launched the new Denza 500 electric vehicle. The new EV is a major leap forwards in terms of design, as you can probably tell when comparing this against its predecessor, the Denza 400.

Engineered and produced in China for domestic use, the Denza 500 drops the old Mercedes-Benz B-Class-esque looks for sleeker styling, featuring “tiger eye” LED headlights, LED taillights and a new set of dual-tone alloy wheels. It looks the business, and has the toys and tech to match.

Inside, the cabin gets a larger nine-inch touchscreen infotainment system encased in a hexagonal frame. It features upgraded connectivity services with smartphone pairing function, and it works with the Denza smartphone application as well. Via the app, users can make use of their WeChat account and the GPS navigation system to quickly locate over 112,000 charging stations across the country.

For the driver, there’s a nice two-spoke steering wheel (much like that seen in the pre-facelift S-Class) with volume and cruise control buttons, behind which rests a full coloured digital instrument cluster. It displays battery charge level, EV range, GPS navigation as well as multimedia information. Down the centre tunnel is where you’ll find the start/stop button, Sport mode switch and electronic gear lever.

Now for the electrifying bit. Instead of the older 62 kWh battery pack, the Denza 500 is equipped with a more energy-dense 70 kWh pack. The car, which weighs less than before, can be had with 86 kW or 135 kW electric motors. The company says these improvements contribute to an extended electric range of around 500 km, and that the car was tested in a wide range of harsh conditions, including severe winter testing at temperatures of as low as –40 degrees Celsius.

As for pricing, Electrek reports that the Denza 500 will carry a base sticker price of 298,800 Yuan (RM185k) after incentives. The launch marks Daimler’s accelerating EV efforts in China to comply with the local ZEV mandate which starts next year.

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Matthew H Tong

An ardent believer that fun cars need not be fast and fast cars may not always be fun. Matt advocates the purity and simplicity of manually swapping cogs while coping in silence of its impending doom. Matt's not hot. Never hot.

 

Comments

  • alldisc on Mar 27, 2018 at 5:09 pm

    So much better & cheaper than Tesla. Well done Daimler-BYD !

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 38 Thumb down 1
    • Richard Tido on Mar 27, 2018 at 6:47 pm

      Car companies not only have moved to EV, now, they are improving on their distance. Not bad. 500KM deserves my respect.

      I wonder when our two national car companies are moving towards EV.

      Others are far far ahead

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 29 Thumb down 0
  • Why la on Mar 27, 2018 at 5:14 pm

    Fugly la.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 35 Thumb down 60
    • I would say it looks good and futuristic. I’m pretty sure that the looks will grow on you.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 27 Thumb down 0
  • 12yrsold on Mar 27, 2018 at 5:16 pm

    Wow, I never knew China can make an EV this good looking & have an English sounding name(Denza) with 500 km to boot. Lets hope M’sia can/will have this Denza dancing in our roads in 3/4 years time preferably cheaper too !!!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 27 Thumb down 0
  • What an ugly front!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 15 Thumb down 51
  • Pls quickly come to Malaysia

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 36 Thumb down 1
  • Li Shufu on Mar 27, 2018 at 6:03 pm

    Will Geely now hijack this project now that they own 9.7% of Damiler?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Ok la jokes aside, the design is much better than many brands out there. With all the technologies, practicality and assuming that the price is competitive, this is really one of the best buy in the market

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 81 Thumb down 21
  • Chandra on Mar 27, 2018 at 6:42 pm

    Design is like 1st gen Rio except front is uglier than LEAF and the rear glass is weird that it’s not flush to the body. That portion going inwards makes it look like a sedan-hatchback Frankenstein.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 25 Thumb down 47
  • I like it

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 0
 

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