Denza first drive

The new Denza notchback, a practical and (with Chinese government subsidies) relatively affordable electric vehicle developed in a joint venture between Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler and the automotive arm of Chinese industrial giant BYD.

Although initially conceived on the same underpinnings as the superseded first-generation Mercedes-Benz B-class, the first in what is expected to grow into a limited range of Denza models has ultimately been engineered in China around what is described by Daimler-BYD Auto officials as a “totally unique platform”.

That platform features a longer wheelbase, wider tracks and increased overhangs than its German sibling – measures that provide it with interior space approaching that of the existing Mercedes-Benz E-Class saloon, including a commodious 460-litre boot complete with a full-sized spare wheel.

Power for the weighty 2090kg steel bodied notchback, which was styled under a team headed by Olivier Boulay at Daimler’s Beijing based design studio, hails from a front-mounted electric motor provided by BYD Auto.

With a peak output of 115bhp and 214lb ft of torque, it propels the new car from 0-62mph in a claimed 14.0sec and to a top speed limited to 93mph.

Energy for the electric motor is provided by a relatively large 47.5kW/h lithium iron phosphate battery consisting of 144 individual cells and produced by BYD Auto parent company, BYD Company.

Encased in a cast aluminium cradle and mounted within the floor, it is claimed to provide the Denza with an overall range of up to 208 miles at an average speed of 37mph.

The one thing that sets the Denza apart from most other Chinese produced electric vehicles is its high standard of fit and finish.

It may be produced in a sprawling BYD Auto plant in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen and be aimed at the more affordable end of the Chinese electric vehicle market, but the quality levels and sheer attention to detail evident throughout its exterior have clearly been driven by Daimler.

Although the new joint venture car offering looks like a hatchback with rather unique buttress style C-pillars, it is actually a notchback – a body style preferred by Chinese car buyers.

Inside, you sit at an elevated position on high backed seats that provide adequate if not abundant support. The front seats are quite upright, providing loads of space for rear seat passengers who benefit from the new car’s generous 2880mm wheelbase.

Nicely detailed digital instruments and a touch screen monitor within the centre console give it a pleasingly contemporary feel from behind the multi-function steering wheel.

Press the start button, nudge the stubby gear lever to the left and rearwards, disengage the old fashioned foot operated park brake, apply a modest amount of throttle and the front-wheel drive Denza eases away with nothing more than a distant whine from the electric motor.

Instant torque and a single speed gearbox gets you going with a solid slug of acceleration. But at a portly 2090kg – some 550kg of which is battery weight alone, the joint venture electric vehicle is hardly what you’d describe as quick.