Chinese car being sold for $39,000 in China surprises everyone as it appears for sale in Europe for $135,000
Published on Apr 21, 2026 at 4:11 PM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on Apr 21, 2026 at 4:55 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
Everyone was taken aback when a Chinese car, which also happens to be an EV, that would usually sell for $39,000 in China, went up for sale in Europe for tons more.
BYD has been making a name for itself more and more in Europe.
For a long while, it’s framed its products as being superior to Western EVs, while also being cheaper.
However, things are different with the Denza Z9 GT – but why?
This Chinese car will cost you $135,000 to buy in Europe – but why?
There’s been a lot of news about BYD in the past year or so, hasn’t there?
This Chinese brand has been making moves all around the world.
In the UK, sales skyrocketed by as much as 880 percent, while it overtook Tesla globally to become the world’s biggest EV seller.
Even in South America, Chinese EVs have been making gains.
And a big chunk of that appeal has come from the fact that these cars are remarkably cheap.
That makes sense, right? We all want to make savings where we can.
But things might be changing with this new car coming out of BYD’s factories.
The Denza Z9 GT is being promoted in Europe as a luxury car, with prices starting at $135,294 (€115,000) for the battery-electric version.
For the sake of comparison, the PHEV is comparatively cheap at $118,823 (€101,000).
Some publications, like Top Gear, have framed this as BYD’s attempt to take on the big dogs in the luxury car market.
How does the Denza Z9 GT compare to other EVs on the market?
Unfortunately, if you’re an American manufacturer, you do have some cause for concern.
With a range of 644 miles, the Z9 GT easily dwarves the competition.
The Lucid Air Grand Touring does a good job, coming in with a range of 512 miles.
Meanwhile, the Chevrolet Silverado EV boasts enough range for 478 miles.
If you own a current Tesla Model S, it has 405 miles of range based on EPA estimates.
Fortunately for American manufacturers, getting a BYD car into the US is an extremely tricky thing to do.
But Europe is still a big market up for the taking.
The question is – will this luxury BYD car knock Porsche off its pedestal?
Following stints at LadBible, The Sun, The New York Post, and the Daily Mail, Ben joined the team full-time in February 2025. In his role as Senior Content Writer, his sparkling copy, the ability to sniff out a good story at 100 paces, and a GSOH quickly led to him becoming an integral and invaluable member of the writing staff.
