Joining the ranks of high-end new energy flagship sedans priced above 400,000 yuan is a challenging task that more than one new energy brand will face this year. After the delivery of the Hengyuan S9 and the pre-sale of the Lynk & Co Z10, on August 20th, the Denza Z9GT also welcomed its pre-sale launch.

Wang Chuanfu personally led the press conference and shared the opening remarks, and the on-site release of the Yisanfang whole vehicle intelligent control technology platform equipped on the Z9GT greatly enhanced the "weight" of the press conference.

"Yisanfang" offers core technologies including independent drive of three motors, and independent steering control of dual rear motors, which supports eye-catching features such as compass turning, crab walking mode, and inward and outward eight-shaped rear wheel movements, making the press conference quite a "technological feast" to watch.

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The final pre-sale prices announced were also impressive. After "Yisanfang" successfully raised the audience's expectations, the pre-sale prices for the three plug-in hybrid models were 339,800, 369,800, and 419,800 yuan respectively, and the pre-sale prices for the two pure electric models were 359,800 and 389,800 yuan, which appeared to be "quite sincere".The Denza Z9GT is positioned as one of the dual flagship sedans of the Denza brand, with the Z9GT being the GT model, while the other model, the Z9, is a standard three-box sedan, which will be released at a later time.

The official positioning of the Z9GT by the Denza brand is as a D-class sedan. In reality, its dimensions are more in line with the category of mid-to-large sedans, with length, width, and height measurements of 5180mm (for the pure electric version) / 5195mm (for the plug-in hybrid version), 1990mm, and 1480mm, respectively, and a wheelbase of 3125mm. Compared to the German "56E" trio, it is more competitive, but its length and wheelbase are still half a size smaller than those of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7 Series.

In terms of price, it also mainly overlaps with the "56E" segment. Currently in China, including the already launched NIO ET7, Xiangjie S9, and the upcoming Lynk & Co Z10 and Denza Z9GT, all have the ambition to "benchmark the product power against 78S, but with actual pricing and more market absorption of 56E."

However, looking at the competition among the flagship products of new energy brands, the Z9GT has more prominent technological attributes. The main feature is the first-time adoption of the "Yi San Fang" whole vehicle intelligent control technology platform.

Both Yi San Fang and Yi Si Fang are based on the Xuanji architecture, with the most obvious difference being that Yi Si Fang has four motors, while Yi San Fang has three. However, their composition of "one brain, two ends, three networks, four chains" is similar, both controlled by a central brain and AI "command and control." Moreover, Yi San Fang integrates BYD's fifth-generation DM technology, e-platform 3.0 EVO, and the cutting-edge technology of Yi Si Fang, and is compatible with both plug-in hybrid and pure electric, also equipped with the Yunyan A system, including dual-chamber air suspension and CDC.On the plug-in hybrid platform, it features a newly developed 2.0T plug-in hybrid specific engine, an efficient EHS hybrid system, and the world's first plug-in hybrid CTB architecture. The engine of the Z9GT model has a maximum power output of 152kW.

Both the plug-in hybrid and pure electric versions utilize a three-motor configuration, with one in the front and two at the rear. Specifically, for the Z9GT plug-in hybrid model, the front motor has a power of 200kW, and each of the two rear motors has a power of 220kW, resulting in a total motor power of 640kW. The pure electric version has even higher motor power, with the front motor at 230kW and each of the two rear motors at 240kW, achieving a total system power of 710kW.

The plug-in hybrid version has a CLTC range of 1100 kilometers with a full tank of fuel and a full charge, while the pure electric version, based on the 800V architecture, has a CLTC range of 630km.

In the Yisanfang platform, the performance orientation is also very pronounced, with the overall vehicle horsepower approaching 1000, achieving a 3-second level 0-100km/h acceleration.

A significant feature of the Yisanfang platform is its capability for independent steering control integration of dual rear motors. The left and right rear wheels of the Z9GT can turn 10 degrees to the left or 10 degrees to the right, and the turning effects can be roughly divided into three types:1. Co-directional rotation, which means both rear wheels turn in the same direction simultaneously, can either rotate in the opposite direction to the front wheels to enhance steering ability, or rotate in the same direction as the front wheels to achieve a diagonal "crab walk" function.

2. "Pigeon-toed" rotation: This refers to a configuration where the front is narrower than the rear, creating a "pigeon-toed" appearance from a top view. The benefit of this is to increase the vehicle's stability, such as when the brakes fail, the "pigeon-toed" rotation of the dual rear wheels can enhance the vehicle's stability in emergency situations.

3. "Duck-footed" rotation: Opposite to the pigeon-toed rotation, this enhances the vehicle's extreme capabilities. "Duck-footed" rotation is also a significant technological source for one of the highlights of the press conference—the "compass turn." One of the front wheels is locked, and the other three wheels rotate around the locked front wheel, allowing for a turn within 10 meters. This mode is also very beneficial for narrow side parking, tight parking spaces, or sharp right-angle turns.

The three-motor independent drive combined with the independent steering control of the dual rear motors significantly reduces the turning radius of the Z9GT. The press conference revealed a turning radius of 4.62 meters, which is already very close to that of an A0-class car.

Additionally, the Yisanfang system, due to the strength and flexibility of its control system, is also very advantageous in terms of safety. For example, the road surface heating system is very helpful in preventing loss of control on icy and snowy roads, and it also provides stability benefits for rare events like high-speed tire blowouts—this time the official announcement included a record of maintaining control at a speed of 140 km/h during a tire blowout.In terms of handling, thanks to the low center of gravity of the CTB and the easy three-party system, the official moose test result is 93.6 km/h.

If we "remove" the easy three-party system and look at the Z9GT, it actually possesses the appearance and strength of a high-end new energy mid-to-large GT sedan.

This is primarily reflected in the design of the Z9GT, with a strong sense of speed in the front of the car, a distinct large GT coupe style on the side of the body, and the design of wheels starting from 20 inches and large wheel housings is very imposing.

The muscle lines from the C-pillar to the rear of the car are full and powerful, and the rear provides a design of a retractable electric spoiler, and the rear shape is round and full. Personally, I think the 45-degree angle from the side and rear is the most eye-catching viewing angle of the Z9GT, with a sports charm similar to the Porsche Panamera.

The interior design seems to continue the traditional luxury genes that Mercedes-Benz first injected into Denza. Against the background that new force brands are generally using more new technology materials in the interior of flagship models, the Z9GT insists on using a large area of luxury leather wrapping, supplemented by exquisite interior decorative parts such as crystal gear levers, metal matte color decorative strips, etc. And the interior color matching also adopts two relatively luxurious schemes of purple mist + Pegasus and dark night + Prague red.Certainly, the Z9GT also boasts the technological luxury that a flagship new energy vehicle should have. For instance, although the exact size of the central control screen has not been disclosed, it appears to be significantly larger than most screens under 16 inches; a separate screen for the passenger side is equipped on the right side of the dashboard; the central armrest area is fitted with dual 50W wireless fast chargers; and the sound system features the Devialet brand, including visually impressive rising speakers.

The Z9GT also includes a rare dual refrigerator design within the cabin, one with a 4L capacity located in the front central armrest box, and the other with a 10L capacity in the rear central armrest position, both capable of providing a storage temperature as low as minus 6 degrees Celsius.

The rear legroom of the Z9GT is generous, comparable to that of the 56E models. The space under the front seats can accommodate half a footstep, which is better than most pure electric sedans that leave no space for rear passengers to stretch their legs. This is related to the use of the CTB (Cell to Body) technology for both the pure electric and plug-in hybrid versions of the Z9GT, which brings about a thickness advantage of about 15mm for the chassis.

All front and rear seats in the cabin are made of Nappa material, and all four seats support heating, ventilation, and massage functions, which is reasonable for the positioning of the Z9GT. The driver's seat has "dual-purpose" active side support, the passenger seat offers a zero-gravity seat, and the rear offers privacy glass, electric side window sunshades, and a soft light vanity mirror for the rear passengers.

Finally, the Z9GT will also be equipped with the "Eyes of the Gods" intelligent driving assistance system and will debut with BAS 3.0+. According to the information announced during the pre-sale, it will offer high-speed NOA (Navigation on Autopilot) upon launch, with urban NOA to be implemented later through OTA (Over-The-Air) updates.Jia Shi Summary:

The pre-sale launch event for the Denza Z9GT this time, compared to previous new car launches by the Denza brand, has a more pronounced focus on the route of technological luxury.

Compared to the pre-sale and market launch of the Denza N7, Denza has returned to rationality from the "confidence built by the explosive sales of a single model, the D9," and has started to face the fierce internal competition in the market head-on, clearly stating its own advantages, and the pricing is also more logical. This mindset and focus will help to enhance the distinctive character of the Denza brand.

In theory, a thriving and rapidly rising large automotive group can have more confidence in building a luxury brand because it has substantial financial resources and technological reserves, which provide stronger support than other new forces. In the face of increased competition for Denza's main sales products this year, if the Z9GT can sell well in the price range of over 300,000, it will greatly contribute to consolidating the stability of Denza's development.