Denza battles in the red ocean of 400,000-level SUVs

Author | Wang Xiaojun

Editor | Zhou Zhiyu

The competition in the large SUV market has entered a white-hot phase, and the Denza N9 has been refreshed after six months, re-entering the battlefield.

On September 17, the 2026 Denza N9 was officially launched. The new car offers three models, with the price range remaining unchanged (RMB 389,800 - RMB 449,800), but the standard configuration has been significantly expanded, and renowned actress Gao Yuanyuan was invited to the launch event.

As the flagship SUV of the Denza brand, the Denza N9 has experienced a journey from peak to decline in market performance since its launch in March 2025. Looking back at its sales trajectory, sales rose in April, May, and June, approaching 5,000 units, but then fell back to around 2,000 units in July and August.

The recent market performance shows a certain gap compared to major competitors, which stems from the increasing number of rivals in the large SUV market this year.

Li Bin, founder, chairman, and CEO of Nio, has pointed out the reasons why the industry is focusing on larger vehicles. He stated, "In any case, the incentives for large vehicles in China are the same, and it doesn't require much additional investment, but the gross profit will be much higher. During this cycle, large vehicles will definitely be prioritized, and they are more profitable."

In the new energy SUV market that the Denza N9 aims to capture, priced around RMB 400,000, the competition is even fiercer. In this market, Li Auto has long secured family users with models like the L9, while Aito previously targeted users in the RMB 400,000 - RMB 600,000 range with the M9, and this year’s new Aito M8 also targets the RMB 400,000 market, gaining considerable popularity after its launch.

In addition to competition from similarly priced rivals, this year, players like Leado and Geely have already brought large-sized SUVs down to below RMB 300,000 or even lower, achieving good sales, making it even more challenging for Denza and other competitors to win in the market.

However, in the face of competition and industry challenges, Li Hui, the newly appointed general manager of Denza, is very confident in his products.

He stated, "The outside world often compares the Denza N9 with competitors' models. We pay tribute to excellence and aim to surpass our competitors. After a comprehensive comparison, while competitors have 11 indicators leading in models priced over RMB 1 million, the Denza N9 surpasses in 108 indicators, especially excelling in the four core areas of power, safety, flexibility, and intelligence."

In this refresh, the 2026 Denza N9 adopts a "more features without increasing price" strategy, maintaining the price range while significantly enhancing the configuration.

The 2026 Denza N9 introduces four new two-tone body colors: Purple Gold, Red Elegant Gold, Blue Morning Silver, Green Elegant Silver, and one solid color: Frost Cloud Tea. The interior adds a "Golden Mountain Brown" color scheme to highlight its luxurious appearance. The entire series is equipped with high-tech luxury features such as the Easy Three-Party, Cloud Vehicle-A, God Eye B, and a dedicated 2.0T efficient engine for plug-in hybrids, along with functions like the Intelligent Anti-Motion Sickness System and Parking Navigation Assistance.

Specifically, in terms of technical performance, the core competitiveness of the 2026 Denza N9 lies in its standard Easy Three-Party technology platform across the entire series. Li Hui confidently declared at the launch event, "Not all three electric motors are called Easy Three-Party." According to reports, this technology not only allows vehicles to effectively control body stability after high-speed blowouts but also prevents skidding and loss of control on icy and snowy roads.

At the same time, the new car has made significant improvements in several key safety data aspects, with the speed for the fishhook test increased from 180 km/h to 210 km/h, and the speed for the high-speed blowout test increased from 140 km/h to 180 km/h (straight road).

In terms of range, the Denza N9 uses a dedicated 2.0T efficient engine for plug-in hybrids, combined with the EHS electric hybrid system, achieving a measured acceleration of 0 to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds. After the OTA upgrade to long-range mode in the fourth quarter, the CLTC pure electric range is 230 km, with a comprehensive range of 1330 km.

Chinese consumers prefer large vehicles, but large vehicles have long been a pain point due to their difficulty in handling. In recent years, while the industry has been focusing on larger vehicles, there have also been further requirements for turning radius. As a large flagship SUV with a body length of 5258 mm, it has a minimum turning radius of 4.65 meters.

Since it is positioned as a luxury vehicle, driving comfort is a crucial consideration for this type of model. The Denza N9 is equipped with the YunNian-A intelligent body control system, which, along with the Road Surface Preview 2.0 system, can identify speed bumps and potholes in advance, dynamically adjusting the chassis suspension stiffness and body posture to reduce body vibrations and bumps.

This renewal also features significant upgrades in intelligent technology configurations. In terms of intelligent driving, the Denza N9 comes standard with the TianShen Eye B - Auxiliary Driving Laser Version (DiPilot 300), which is the first to offer parking assistance from space to space, as well as standard features like getting in and out of parking and easy three-party parking.

In addition, to attract more family users, the Denza N9's intelligent cockpit ecosystem has collaborated with several companies. It has partnered with the children's products brand Goodbaby, the portable massager brand Beiqingsong, as well as DJI and Insta, covering various categories such as baby seats, massage chairs, eye masks, drones, and action cameras, providing some extensions.

Moreover, the 2026 Denza N9 will also introduce new features such as the intelligent anti-motion sickness system, privacy sound shield, and one-click no trace. However, these new features will be gradually pushed through subsequent OTA upgrades. It is worth mentioning that users of the 2025 Denza N9 can also upgrade to these features via OTA.

With this significant renewal and re-entry into the market, it is evident that the Denza N9 holds strategic significance for the Denza brand.

The Denza brand has been established for 15 years, with a turning point beginning at the end of 2022 with the launch of the Denza D9. However, in the following years, it has been the Denza D9 that has supported Denza's sales, while other models have yet to show particularly outstanding performance.

Currently, the market is clearly more competitive, with many new forces achieving monthly sales exceeding 30,000 units. For Denza to stabilize its luxury positioning, it needs more models to gain market recognition.

As large vehicles are becoming increasingly popular, if its flagship SUV can make a name for itself, it will naturally help Denza solidify its position. The upcoming task is entrusted to the 2026 Denza N9