BYD's Denza N8 Ditches Its Mercedes Roots And Nearly Triples Its Old Power Output

Denza's origin story began as a joint venture between BYD and Mercedes-Benz, and one of the brand's first real products was the Denza X, a seven-seat SUV that later morphed into the N8 back in 2023 with a redesigned exterior. Mercedes has since exited the partnership entirely, leaving BYD to run the show solo. Rather than let the N8 fade away, BYD has just pulled the wraps off a completely reworked version, alongside a stretched six-seat sibling dubbed the N8L.

Gone is the swoopy, coupe-inspired silhouette that defined earlier N8 models. In its place sits a more conventional SUV shape with a taller roofline, a change that should pay dividends in rear headroom even though it costs the vehicle its third row entirely. The standard N8 is now strictly a five-seater, so anyone wanting three rows and six total seats will need to step up to the longer N8L instead.

Dimensionally, MIIT filings peg the new N8 at 202.7 inches long, 78.7 inches wide, and 71.6 inches tall, sitting atop a 121-inch wheelbase. The N8L adds roughly two inches to overall length while carrying over identical width, height, and wheelbase figures. Styling cues tie the whole lineup together, borrowing the LED daytime running light signature first seen on Denza's Z9, plus vertically stacked headlamps and a compact black grille low on the front bumper. Buyers can spec either SUV with 20- or 21-inch wheels, body-color roof treatments, upgraded brake calipers, and power-operated side steps, while the rear end wears a horizontal light bar shared with Denza's newest plug-in hybrids.

The real headline, though, is what's under the skin. Denza plans to launch the N8 with three distinct powertrain options. The entry points are single-motor, rear-wheel-drive setups producing 429 horsepower and 496 horsepower, both of which are already respectable numbers for a family SUV. But the range-topping tri-motor variant is where things get absurd: two 416-horsepower motors on the rear axle team up with a 362-horsepower unit up front for a combined output of 1,193 horsepower.

That figure isn't just impressive in isolation, it actually surpasses the 1,184 horsepower Ferrari squeezes out of its F80 hypercar. It's a wild twist that a mainstream five-seat family hauler from a brand best known for affordable EVs now technically out-muscles one of Maranello's most exclusive halo cars, even if the two vehicles serve completely different purposes and audiences.

Powering everything is Denza's second-generation Blade Battery, which enables compatibility with BYD's ultra-fast 1,500-kilowatt Flash Charging system. Exact charging times haven't been disclosed yet, but the company suggests refueling could approach the speed of topping off a comparable gasoline SUV. Rounding out the package is Denza's God's Eye 5.0 driver-assistance suite, which handles both highway and urban driving scenarios using an AI model trained on real-world data, backed by a roof-mounted LiDAR sensor and front-bumper radar hardware.