On September 14th, Mercedes-Benz completely withdrew from the Denza brand. With an increasingly diluted “Mercedes content”, Denza seems to be doing better and better. The subsequently launched Denza Z9GT secured over 5,000 orders within just two days of its launch. For a new energy shooting brake priced at the RMB 300,000 level to achieve such results is rare in the domestic market.

After this, Denza gradually “let loose”. At the end of September, Denza unveiled the official spy shots of its new large SUV, the Denza N9, with rumors suggesting a launch as early as the end of this year. The slogans on the test vehicles are quite interesting, such as “Replace me within RMB 5 million”, “Behemoth”, and “Only big shots drive this car”. Mentioning “RMB 5 million”, I immediately think of the LIXIANG L9 launched in 2022. LIXIANG founder Li Xiang bluntly stated that the LIXIANG L9 is “the best home flagship SUV under RMB 5 million”.

Source: Denza Motors

The Denza N9 will compete head-to-head with the LIXIANG L9. Notably, recently, a blogger exposed completely uncamouflaged real images of the Denza N9, revealing the design details of the new car, from which I was able to obtain valuable product information.

Source: @-Varluft_

Regarding this new car, many netizens praised its good design and “luxury car vibe,” while some directly stated that while the Denza N9 has good recognizability, its design elements are somewhat complex.

Source: Weibo User Screenshot

Judging from online discussions, this product, which is not priced in the mainstream range, quickly garnered significant attention from netizens. Besides design, people are also interested in the product's capabilities, which are gradually coming to light. Next, based on the information currently disclosed, I will analyze the competitiveness of this flagship SUV.

What special designs does the Denza N9 have?

As the “new leader” of the Denza N7 and Denza N8, the Denza N9 boasts a body length of up to 5.2 meters and a wheelbase exceeding 3.1 meters, comparable to large new energy SUVs like the LIXIANG L9 and AITO M9, with an even more boxy body shape. Of course, as the flagship SUV of the Denza family, in addition to its size advantage, the Denza N9 must differentiate itself in design from products like the Denza N7 and Denza N8 to demonstrate its flagship status.

Specifically, the headlights of the Denza N9, like those of the Denza Z9GT, adopt a split design with a very simple lamp chamber. However, what's unique is that instead of the exaggerated “dragon whiskers” design of the Denza Z9GT, the Denza N9 uses relatively simple double lower-tier vents and raised ribs on both sides of the hood to emphasize a sense of power.

Source: @-Varluft_

The commonly used design of hidden door handles in new energy vehicles continues to be applied to the Denza N9. One detail is that the exterior mirrors are designed to be very flat, which is significantly different from the test vehicles previously announced. I speculate that the Denza N9 is likely to offer electronic or traditional exterior mirrors depending on the configuration.

Source: @-Varluft_

The rear design appears simplistic, with a roof spoiler and a design concept similar to many other models where the brand logo separates the two lamp clusters. However, closer inspection reveals clever design details. Firstly, the lamp chamber structure of the taillights is quite distinctive. Secondly, when braking, the entire taillight cluster's design style can be seen, creating a strong visual impact.

Source: @-Varluft_

There is a significant design difference between the Denza N9 and the Denza Z9GT, which is actually quite reasonable. The Denza Z9GT is a shooting brake that inherently emphasizes individuality, and the addition of “dragon whiskers” fits well with this individuality. However, flagship SUVs are primarily targeted at family users or business professionals who prioritize a timeless and minimalist aesthetic in their products. This is why many netizens believe that the design elements of the Denza N9 are somewhat complex. Compared to the LIXIANG L9 and AITO M9, the Denza N9 uses an abundance of design elements, especially in the lamp clusters.

Regarding the interior, only information related to the front of the driver's seat has been disclosed so far, but overall, it remains similar to the Denza Z9GT. Thanks to its 5.3-meter length, the Denza N9 is likely to adopt a three-row seating layout. With the LIXIANG L9 and AITO M9 as benchmarks, I believe the first two rows of the Denza N9 will offer a good experience. After the new car is launched, I will focus on experiencing the ride comfort of the third-row seats.

Source: DiFen Home

The above is the basic information I have analyzed from the uncamouflaged real images. Overall, the Denza N9 respects the mainstream aesthetic preferences of its target audience but also makes new attempts within this framework to create differentiation. Compared to the AITO M9 and LIXIANG L9, the Denza N9 indeed offers more variety. Nevertheless, it's worth noting that the current polarization of opinions does not directly correlate with market sales; ultimately, it will be the product's competitiveness that speaks.

Competing to be the “Best SUV under RMB 5 million”

Regarding the product competitiveness of the Denza N9, the official has already hinted at it on the car covers. Slogans like “Replace me within RMB 5 million,” “Only big shots drive this car,” and “Don't measure, it's 5.3 meters long” imply the product positioning. “A behemoth with great wisdom” suggests that the SUV will perform well in intelligent cockpits and autonomous driving. “Morning hot soy milk, evening iced cola” probably indicates that the Denza N9 is equipped with a refrigerated/heated box, potentially even a dual-zone refrigerated/heated box like the Denza Z9GT.

Zhao Changjiang, General Manager of Denza Sales Business Unit, stated on social media that the Denza N9 will be equipped with “Easy Tri-Party” technology and boldly claimed that this SUV is “unmatchable by peers within five years.”

Source: @Zhao Changjiang V

Those familiar with the Denza Z9GT understand the capabilities of the Denza N9 equipped with “Easy Tri-Party” technology – capabilities such as pivot turns, crab mode, Easy Tri-Party parking, radar-based active avoidance, and performance comparable to A0-class sedans will all be present in the Denza N9. The vehicle's handling performance and body stability will also be ensured, and it is expected to continue using the powertrain from the Denza Z9GT, comprising a pure electric version powered by three drive motors and a plug-in hybrid system combining three drive motors with an engine.

For the target audience, ride comfort is a crucial aspect. The Denza N9 is likely to be equipped with CloudRide-P technology, which independently adjusts the height, stiffness, and damping of the four wheels.

Source: Denza Motors

Looking at the competitors, the AITO M9 is equipped with the Tuling intelligent chassis technology, which automatically adjusts damping based on vehicle speed and road conditions. The LIXIANG L9 is equipped with air springs and CDC continuously variable damping shock absorbers, minimizing bounce after passing over bumps. For the Denza N9, on the one hand, it cannot lose to its competitors in hardware; on the other hand, it must demonstrate the heritage of a traditional major manufacturer in terms of technology.

Of course, the greatest strength of the AITO M9 and LIXIANG L9 lies in their comfort configurations, which seem to be a weakness of the Denza N9 in comparison. However, based on the recently launched Denza Z9GT, it can be inferred that the Denza N9 will naturally adopt the group's latest technologies, such as “BAS 3.0+” superhuman driving assistance, DiLink intelligent cockpit, DiPilot intelligent assistance system, and more.

Source: Denza Motors

The claim of being the “Best SUV under RMB 5 million” is merely a gimmick. What automakers want to convey is that this SUV possesses comprehensive capabilities. In the previous domestic large SUV market, domestic brands did not have much say, but after the spread of this gimmick, the LIXIANG L9 was the first to seize the market, followed by domestic cars like the AITO M9 and Mengshi 917, gradually becoming strong competitors in this niche market.

Denza Motors, with its good market reputation and technological heritage, naturally dares to compete head-on with its competitors.

Currently, one concern among netizens about the development prospects of the Denza N9 is that while Denza is a “leader” in the MPV market, its reputation in the SUV market is not particularly high. The sales figures of the Denza N7 and Denza N8 are not particularly impressive, which may affect the launch pace of the Denza N9 to some extent.

Source: Denza Motors

In my opinion, the Denza N7, Denza N8, and Denza N9 operate in different market environments. The Denza N7 and Denza N8 face too many competitors. Specifically, the Denza N7 is benchmarked against the Tesla Model Y, which, as we all know, easily surpasses 40,000 units in monthly sales, making it difficult for many domestic cars to compete for its market share. The Denza N8 also has many competitors and has a high degree of overlap with the Tang DM-P, leading more family users to opt for the cheaper BYD Tang family.

The Denza N9 is different. It targets the flagship SUV market, where the current best-selling models are the AITO M9 and LIXIANG L9, which sold 16,955 and 6,696 units respectively in August. Other large SUVs sell less than 1,000 units per month. In other words, the monthly baseline sales in this niche market are around 30,000 units.

Leveraging its accumulated reputation and the advantages of being a major manufacturer, the Denza N9 has a good chance of capturing market share from these two competitors. Moreover, there won't be too many new entrants into this niche market in the future. Even if it's difficult to accumulate many users initially, the Denza N9 can still attract consumers through later adjustments.

(Cover image source: @-Varluft_)

Source: Leitech