BYD Malaysia and Sime Darby Auto Imports are set to bring into Malaysia BYD’s luxury brand after a signing ceremony. The deal will make Sime Darby Auto Imports the official importer of Denza vehicles while BYD Malaysia will be the official distributor. With the Denza brand, the company says aims to provide Malaysians with a more diverse, innovative and premium EV experience.
Mr. Liu Xueliang, General Manager of Asia-Pacific Auto Sales Division at BYD said, “We are excited to partner with Sime Darby Auto Imports to bring Denza to the Malaysian market to expand our electric vehicle offerings in Southeast Asia. We are proud to bring our advanced EV technology to Malaysia where the appetite for sustainable mobility continues to grow. We believe Denza will redefine the premium EV experience and set new standards for Malaysian drivers.”
Through this partnership, we look forward to a stronger partnership with BYD, expanding our presence in the EV market while diversifying Sime Darby’s EV portfolio. We are committed to accelerating the growth of EVs in Malaysia and believe that bringing Denza into Malaysia will be a significant part of this journey.”
Regarding the timeline, BYD Malaysia Managing Director, Eagle Zhao, recently confirmed that the BYD sub-brand will be launched in Malaysia in Q1 2025. The first Denza vehicle to enter Malaysia should be the D9 as a right-hand drive version in full camouflage was recently spotted in Malaysia, possibly undergoing testing. Denza had just launched the right-hand drive D9 in Hong Kong a few months ago.
The Denza D9 is available as a plug-in hybrid or as a fully electric vehicle. For Malaysia, it seems very likely that we’ll only get the latter, judging by BYD’s current offerings. As an EV, the Denza is available as a front-wheel drive (single front-mounted motor) or all-wheel drive (dual motors) with up to 374 hp and 470 Nm. It can do 0-100 km/h in under seven seconds and is larger than the Toyota Alphard.
If priced and spec-ed similarly to (or better than) the much-loved Toyota Alphard, will Malaysians start going EV with the new Denza D9?
