Abraca-Denza

1 of 6

BYD’s luxe marque hopes to replicate the magic

SURELY, hardly anyone was still surprised by BYD’s report that its 2025 sales totaled 26,122 units — allowing the China-headquartered brand to leapfrog to third place on the list of top auto movers here, bested only by perennial leaders Toyota Motor Philippines and Mitsubishi Motors Philippines — in first and second place, respectively.

BYD had made its mark in a big way in recent years, buoyed by the unqualified success of its array of new energy vehicles — particularly the strong-selling BYD Sealion 6 hybrid SUV and its entry-level BEV, Seagull.

It’s a bit of a no-brainer that the marque deigned to formally bring in its luxury nameplate, Denza.

The dealerships of Denza’s initial partners ACMobility Premium Dealership, Inc.; Harmony New Energy Auto Service (Philippines) Ltd. Corp.; and E-Vantage Motors, Inc. were inaugurated on the same week the brand held a launch in Makati.

And a few nights before, Denza Philippines hosted dinner for a small group of media practitioners where “Velocity” got a chance to pose some questions for BYD Philippines and Denza Philippines Country Head Adam Hu.

Mr. Hu described the country as being “very promising with its population, growth, good weather, and time zone.” This writer asked why Denza was being led directly by the BYD team, without the involvement of ACMobility — which is in charge of BYD distribution.

“First all, we respect all the efforts made by our partner for BYD,” the executive began. “(ACMobility) is really capable; it’s a good company, a good organization. (But) when it comes to Denza, we are also taking some references from legacy brands here in the Philippines like Lexus. We believe we should learn from (this) pioneer which is doing an outstanding job here. We should also train ourselves to be more adaptive to this country, so that’s why we want to do it by ourselves.”

The executive continued, “As you know, ACMobility is still part of our Denza business. We have three dealer groups, and they are one of them. We have a very good working relationship with them, even for the Denza brand.”

Ayala Group-owned ACMobility established a wholly owned subsidiary, ACMobility Premium Dealership, Inc., to oversee operations of its initial 3S (sales, service, and spare parts) Denza dealerships, Denza Alabang and Denza Cebu. Denza Alabang is currently the largest of the brand’s facilities, measuring 5,410 sq.m. Located on the stretch of Alabang-Zapote Road corner Investment Drive in Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa, the showroom “can display up to eight vehicles and includes a merchandise section, VR zone, customer lounge, and children’s play area,” said the company in a release. “Its 12-bay service center is equipped with two AC charging points and will soon be enhanced with two additional DC chargers to support electric vehicles owners.”

Meanwhile, Denza Cebu spans 3,680 sq.m. and is located on A. Soriano Avenue in the North Reclamation Area of Cebu City. It has a seven-vehicle showroom, merchandise area, lounge, delivery bay, two VIP rooms, a children’s play space, and a VR zone. Eight-bay service bays and four on-site charging stations, composed of two AC units, are “ready to support the growing EV ecosystem in the Visayas.”

Then there’s Denza Makati on 2261 Chino Roces Avenue, operated by Harmony New Energy Auto Service (Philippines) Ltd. Corp. Measuring 2,500 sq.m., the facility gets a seven-car showroom, merchandise section, lounge, delivery area, VIP room, children’s play space, VR zone, and two massage rooms. A nine-bay after-sales center “ensures prompt and reliable support,” while two existing AC charging points, and two more additional DC charging points to be installed soon.

As it waits for a permanent showroom to open on the corner of Connecticut and La Salle Streets in San Juan City by Q3 2026, E-Vantage Motors, Inc. (operator of Denza Greenhills) oversees “interim pop-up stores” at Greenhills Mall in San Juan City and The Podium in Mandaluyong City. The permanent showroom is expected to measure 3,423 sq.m. and accommodate five display vehicles. It will have two VIP rooms, a children’s area, a car club space, bar area, delivery waiting room, and VR experience lounge.

In a statement, BYD Asia-Pacific Auto Sales Division General Manager Liu Xueliang averred, “Denza represents a new standard of premium mobility, where advanced technology enhances comfort, innovation is seamless, and sustainability meets performance. Every detail of Denza is designed to provide a refined and effortless driving experience.”

When asked by this writer whether the direct control BYD exerts on Denza is normal in other countries where it does business along with BYD, Mr. Hu replied, “There are some countries where we have our local distributor; but for many countries, we’re doing it by ourselves. This is the practice we follow for Denza.”

Of course, the premium market is a very different one in the Philippines where there are firmly entrenched legacy brands. How does Denza intend to compete in this niche or segment? “Good question,” he enthused. “Let me first share my view about where the confidence is coming from. Denza is a brand of the BYD group, which is highly invested in technology research and development. Internally, we have what we call a technology pool. Whenever we find a need from the market, we just pick up from our technology pool to equip our models.”

He added, “For Denza, we have applied more advanced technology compared to BYD cars. This is where our confidence is coming from. Because of technology, we feel we are capable of fulfilling the demand from different groups of customers.”

The first product to go on sale is the D9 DM-i multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) with a plug-in hybrid powertrain. A Super DM-i system combines a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine with “high-performance” dual electric motors to produce up to 400hp and 681Nm of torque expressed in all-wheel drive. A claimed combined range reaches up to 980km, per Denza — due partly to a BYD Blade Battery with a 40-kWh capacity. “Built on BYD’s advanced e-Platform 3.0 architecture, the D9 achieves a refined balance of efficiency, safety, adaptability, and ride comfort — ensuring a composed and confident drive in varying conditions,” said Denza Philippines. The first 300 customers can get the D9 for P3.998 million; the regular SRP is P4.298 million.

Mr. Hu revealed that Denza is looking to open a dealership at the Bonifacio Global City, but isn’t keen on running that or any other facility directly. As for sales projections, the executive stressed that will be a metric, but isn’t a top priority to measure success. “Customer experience is very much important; that should be our top priority,” he declared.

“Customer satisfaction should be number one,” stressed Mr. Hu. “Then comes brand health; sales numbers are not tier one (in our concerns). It’s about building a reputation, brand image, and (market) trust.”