An Anxious Driver’s Honest Review of the Denza D9

Let it be known that I’m not a bad driver. In fact, I would consider myself a pretty good one. The only thing that gets in my way at times is my anxiety on, well, any Malaysian road. There’s a lot to look out for—motorbikes weaving between cars, the sudden lane switches, drivers not following basic road rules (does anyone not care what a yellow box is anymore?). Between all of this, my chronic overthinking and anxiety also leads me to imagine every worst-case scenario on the road, which is not ideal when I’m just trying to get from point A to B.

So, you can imagine my apprehension, dearest reader, when I was given the opportunity to test drive the all-new Denza D9. As someone who has grown rather comfortable driving my pint-sized Kia Picanto, the jump to a multi-purpose electric vehicle (MPV) was a massive one. I might as well have been driving a tank! And as if that wasn’t enough to make me burst into cold sweats, I would be driving not just around Kuala Lumpur but all the way to Penang! 

I was about to pass on the offer, but then I remembered that 2025 is supposed to be a year to challenge myself and go out of my comfort zone (you can also thank my anxiety for that). Plus, the positive reception of Denza and the success of its parent brand BYD in Malaysia helped bolster my confidence in giving it a shot. So, off I went to conquer the roads to Penang in the Denza D9. 

Ahead, find out my honest thoughts as both the driver and the passenger on the MPV during the four-hour ride to Penang and back.

“This car is actually huge!” 

I thought this before, and then I thought it again when I saw the Denza D9 in front of me. As someone who exclusively drives compact hatchbacks, the major size difference was what I was most nervous about. I knew the driving experience would be drastically different, and I wondered how I would handle an MPV of this size.

Spanning a length of just over 17 feet with a width of 6.4 feet and a height of 6.3 feet, the Denza D9 looks like a titan made to dominate the road—something that I’m not used to behind the wheel, but grew to love the more I drove. Turns out, the size upgrade didn’t bother me as much as I thought it would. On the contrary, it gave me a sense of confidence and assurance on the road.

At that height, I was perched up high in the driver’s seat, giving me clear views of the highway ahead. Plus, the stability and buttery smoothness of the Denza D9 took away my fear of driving a hefty vehicle, making the transition for a beginner like me seamless. Truth be told, I felt like I was giving major C word. Now, I understand why some people actually enjoy driving a bigger, bulkier car. Consider me a convert!

“It’s Fast and Furious, but make it safe”

As you can probably deduce, being a naturally anxious driver also means that I’m in no way a speed demon on the road. Anything above 90 km/h for me is like channelling Dominic Toretto. But if we were to make it to Penang in good time, I had to pick it up and stay in line with my convoy. This means keeping my foot on the pedal on the right side of the lane when I’m a left lane truist. 

Fortunately, every time I felt my heart rate go up as we increased in speed, the Denza D9’s Comprehensive Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) was there to keep me and the MPV under control. My favourite is the Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC). With just a touch of a button on the steering wheel, I can activate the ACC and adjust the distance and lane-keeping sensitivity.

This system allows vehicles to maintain a set speed and distance from the car ahead while automatically adjusting for traffic, including stop-and-go situations, by gently steering the wheel back into position and giving off alerts.

The ACC works alongside other driver-assistance features such as Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR), Blind Spot detection (BSD), Forward Collision Warning (FWC), and Lane Keeping Assist (LKA). This means whenever the ACC is engaged, the Denza D9 is constantly monitoring road and traffic conditions to make sure I get to my destination safely. 

Plus, the DiSus-C active suspension and DiSus-A for dynamic adjustments also ensure that I’m still grounded and stable over bumpy roads and when I’m increasing speed. It’s like the Denza D9 knew all my anxieties and had solutions for every one of them. So, yes, I was going over 140 km/h and felt like I was absolutely cruising!

“Is this what the royal treatment looks like?”

The Denza D9 feels like you’re sitting on a throne, whether you’re behind the wheel or in the back seat. It has a spacious seven-seater configuration in a 2-2-3 layout. With plenty of leg room, wood inlays, and premium Nappa leather upholstery, the MPV offers stunning design and a spacious interior that is perfect for families, friendly road trips, and business leaders.

When I wasn’t driving (there was a chauffeur service so we could fully experience being a passenger princess), I thoroughly enjoyed going through all the options and features on the 5.5-inch touchscreens integrated into the second-row armrests. On it, I can easily adjust seat settings, customise ambient light features, open the sunroof, control the music playlists, activate massages, and even switch on fans for seat cooling (yes, those exist!). 

With the 14-speaker Dynaudio surround system and a 15.6-inch ultra-HD central touchscreen, the MPV’s infotainment made rides all the more fun, dynamic, and immersive. And if I ever needed a drink in between all the singing, I just reach into the mini fridge (which also doubles as a heating box) for a pick-me-up.

“You don’t have to worry about EV charging after all”

To be honest, I was quite sceptical of EVs because I thought Malaysia wasn’t ready infrastructurally for it. What happens if you need to charge your car but there’s no station nearby? Or you miscalculated your journey, and your battery is running lower than you thought? But during my test drive with the Denza D9 to Penang, I quickly realised that I had no reason to be concerned at all. 

Throughout the four-hour drive, we made multiple R&R stops, which are all equipped with several electrical charging stations. There were both AC and DC EV chargers available. The former takes longer and is more suited for home or long-term parking, whilst the latter sends the current directly to the vehicle’s battery, significantly reducing charging times.

If you’re on the road, you’ll want to look for the DC chargers and fortunately, the North-South Expressway (NSE) contains a whopping 37 fast charging stations and the West Coast Expressway (WCE) have four. Multiple operators also carry EV charging stations such as DC Gentari, Shell Recharge, and TNV Electron, so you’re really spoilt for choice.

A little goes a long way, too. With DC fast charging, the Denza D9 can go from 30 to 80 percent SoC in about 30 minutes. With just 10 minutes of DC charging, you can gain a further 150km of range—perfect when you need a little juice but you’re rushing to get somewhere.

But the best part is that we didn’t find ourselves needing to charge all that much, either. After the four-hour ride, my MPV was still at about 80 per cent battery, and that was with us going full-throttle on the highway. The Denza D9’s power efficiency means that you can not only go on longer, uninterrupted rides but also contribute to a greener future of environmentally friendly EVs. 

So, there you have it. After test-driving the Denza D9, I’m happy to report that it wasn’t as intimidating as I thought it would be—quite the opposite, in fact. And it’s all thanks to the MPV’s plethora of safety features, superior driving experience, and premium furnishings. 

The Denza D9 comes in three exterior colour options, including Arctic White, Cosmos Black, and Wale Sea Blue. For the interior, the Denza D9 offers two colourways of Beige and Brown. The Denza D9 is available in Malaysia in two variants: Denza D9 Advanced (FWD) at RM259,000 and Denza D9 Premium (AWD) at RM309,000. 

For more information and to book a test drive, visit the official Denza website here.

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