Launched in Malaysia half a year ago, the Denza D9 quickly rose to become one of the country’s best-selling EV MPVs, currently second only to the BYD M6. According to the latest road transport department (JPJ) data, over 700 units have found homes so far this year, putting it well ahead of the Zeekr 009‘s 498 units and the Xpeng X9‘s 314.
It’s not difficult to see why – at RM259k-309k, the D9 is competitively-priced against the RM271k-301k X9 and the RM310k-360k 009, while being no less luxurious. But the real guy(s) to beat is/are the Toyota Alphard/Vellfire – over 10,300 units of just the Alphard have been registered so far this year, making it Malaysia’s 12th best-selling car. Yes, most of them are ‘recon’, but still, a long way to go to rub shoulders with a household name.
That hasn’t kept the D9 from trying though, and what an effort. At 5,250 mm long, 1,960 mm wide and 1,920 mm tall, it’s larger than the Japanese twins, while being 41 mm longer and 72 mm taller than even the Zeekr 009. Its 3,110 mm wheelbase is longer than the Toyotas’ 3,000 mm but shorter than the Zeekr’s 3,205 mm. The boot holds 410 litres; fold all the rear seats down for 2,310 litres.
Bosses, prepare to be properly pampered. The middle row’s individual business class-style power-adjustable seats feature 10-point massaging, one-touch recline and touchscreens built into the armrests. A 6.8-litre fridge keeps your drinks at whatever temperature you like between -6 and 50 degrees C.
Up front, there’s a 10.25-inch digital instrument display, a 15.6-inch infotainment touch-screen, ‘Hi Denza’ voice control, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and a 50-watt wireless charger. The Denza D9 also gets a full suite of advanced driver assistance systems – including Level 2 semi-autonomous driving – and Disus-C adaptive damping on the Premium AWD variant for a smoother, more comfortable ride.
The RM259k Advanced FWD has one 313 PS/360 Nm front motor while the RM309k Premium AWD has that plus a 61 PS/110 Nm rear motor to give you 374 PS and 470 Nm of torque altogether. Thanks to a 103.6 kWh Blade LFP battery (30-80% in 30 minutes at the max 166 kW DC), the Denza D9 boasts WLTP-rated ranges of 520 km for the FWD and 480 km for the AWD.
Warranties? Six years/150,000 km for the vehicle, eight years/160,000 km for the battery and eight years/150,000 km for the drive motor and motor controller. There’s also a Malaysia-Singapore-Thailand cross-border after-sales warranty programme – worry no more if you travel often across these three nations.
The big question is: should the Toyota Alphard/Vellfire be worried? Jonathan Lee tries to find out in this in-depth video review of the range-topping Premium AWD. Hit Play once you’re done making that coffee.
2025 Denza D9 Premium AWD in Malaysia
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