Denza N8 returns as a 5-seat SUV from 269,900 CNY with up to 1,003 km range

Denza, the premium brand of BYD (HKG: 1211), relaunched the N8 on November 12, 2026, as a large five-seat SUV priced from 269,900 CNY (c. $40,180). The new N8 comes as a battery-electric model and as a plug-in hybrid, and the longest-range electric version is rated at 1,003 km (623 miles) on China's CLTC cycle.

There are six trims. The rear-wheel-drive electric versions cost 269,900 CNY and 279,900 CNY (c. $41,668), while the all-wheel-drive electric versions with BYD's e3 Evo three-motor system cost 309,900 CNY (c. $46,134) and 329,900 CNY (c. $49,111). Both plug-in hybrids use the e3 Evo setup and cost 300,900 CNY (c. $44,794) and 320,900 CNY (c. $47,772).

Denza puts the value of its limited-time launch offers at about 80,000 CNY (c. $11,909). They include up to 30,000 CNY (c. $4,466) off optional equipment and one year of free flash charging, for buyers whose invoices are issued by December 31. One launch report put trade-in bonuses at 20,000 CNY for current Denza owners, 10,000 CNY for BYD and Mercedes-Benz owners, and 6,000 CNY for owners of other brands.

Deliveries of the electric N8 start about a week after launch, and the plug-in hybrid follows one to two months later. Denza general manager Li Hui said at the launch that orders passed 10,000 within 24 hours of reservations opening. Reservations opened on October 26, and a 2,000 CNY deposit came with a 5,000 CNY accessory credit.

The N8 name has a short history. The original N8 launched in August 2023 as a six- and seven-seat plug-in hybrid and was dropped less than a year later after weak sales. In early 2025, its monthly sales were reported to be in the two- or three-digit range. Denza has since built its large-SUV range around the N8L, which launched in October 2025, and the new N8 is a slightly shorter five-seat counterpart to it.

The styling follows Denza's π-Motion design language, with split headlights and a full-width rear light bar. Buyers can pick from eight paint colors, four of them two-tone, and four interior color schemes.

Denza N8 (official image)

The new car measures 5,150 mm long, 1,999 mm wide and 1,820 mm tall on a 3,075 mm wheelbase. That makes it 50 mm shorter than the N8L, with every other dimension the same. Inside, the front trunk holds 205 liters, the rear trunk 1,046 liters, and folding the second row opens up 2,150 liters, with 33 storage spaces around the cabin.

The main hardware story is e3 Evo, which debuts on the N8. It pairs a front motor with two independently controlled rear motors, all spinning at up to 30,100 rpm, for a combined output of 890 kW and a claimed 0 to 100 km/h time of 2.98 seconds, which Denza's own materials describe as a 2.9-second class. The two rear motors also steer the rear wheels by up to 10 degrees, cutting the turning circle to 4.5 meters, and enable a tight pivot U-turn mode and crab-style sideways driving.

Rear-wheel-drive electric versions use a 320 kW or 370 kW motor. The electric N8 uses BYD's second-generation Blade Battery in 105 kWh and 130 kWh sizes on a 1,000 V platform. Denza quotes flash charging of five minutes for a useful top-up and nine minutes for a full charge, with only three extra minutes at -30C. The plug-in hybrid is rated at 435 km (270 miles) of electric range and 1,567 km (974 miles) combined.

Denza calls the 1,003 km version the longest-range electric SUV in the world. Its regulatory filings list electric ranges of 1,003 km, 970 km, 800 km and 840 km across versions. Suspension is double wishbone at the front and five-link at the rear, and Denza lists its DiSus-A dual-chamber air suspension as standard, though other launch coverage limits it to higher trims.

The cabin debuts a 1.1-meter display that spans the dashboard. The front seats are zero-gravity designs, and the second-row seats recline to 146 degrees with leg rests, ventilation, heating and massage. Denza also fits Devialet audio, a 6.8-liter fridge and a 17.3-inch screen for the rear seats. An AI agent called Didi Xia is built in to handle loosely worded voice requests and can order food delivery or book hotels.

Denza N8 cabin (official image)

For driver assistance, the N8 uses BYD's God's Eye B system with LiDAR, alongside God's Eye 5.0, covering automated parking and navigation-assisted driving on city streets and highways. Denza says it was designed to the 2024 C-NCAP five-star standard and comes with nine airbags as standard.

The body uses BYD's cell-to-body battery layout and a hot-formed steel cage rated at 2,000 MPa. Denza also says the independent rear motors help the N8 swerve at speed without rolling over, stay stable after a high-speed tire blowout and hold its line in strong crosswinds. The e3 Evo system runs on a 1,500 V silicon carbide chip that BYD developed itself.

The N8 arrives after a weaker month for the brand. Denza sold 15,152 vehicles in October, down 16.74% from September, though still up 49.5% from a year earlier. Li Hui pitched the N8 as Denza's entry into the fight among large five-seat "8-series" SUVs, and Denza described it as a contender in the 350,000 CNY class (c. $52,104) when reservations opened.

With its electric version starting at 269,900 CNY, the N8 undercuts that 350,000 CNY class by a wide margin before any offers. The first sign of whether the second N8 can avoid the fate of the first will come with its first full month of deliveries in December.

Conversion rate: 1 USD = 6.7174 CNY as of November 12, 2026.