Denza N8L revealed as six-seat PHEV with 143-mile electric range

BYD-owned Denza is gearing up to challenge the Range Rover Sport with its new N8L, a six-seat family SUV fitted with a long-range plug-in hybrid powertrain.

The N8L is equipped with a 46.9kWh battery pack – even larger than those fitted in many small European EVs – that delivers a yields an electric-only range of 143 miles.

That figure should be taken with a pinch of salt, as it is according to China’s optimistic CLTC lab test, but would almost certainly translate to a figure north of 100 miles in the real world.

Should the N8L come to the UK, that could give it the longest EV range of any PHEV on sale. The current title holder is the Chery Tiggo 9, officially capable of driving 91 miles on electric power alone.

The N8L has a turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine and three electric motors (one on the front axle and two at the rear), which combine to put out 751bhp. That gives it a 0-62mph sprint time of 3.9sec.

It also has rear-wheel steering, which allows it to ‘crab walk’ horizontally into parking spaces, like the Denza Z9 GT.

Inside, the N8L majors on space, with a six-seat configuration (comprising three rows of two seats) and a reclining third row. It's said to have a system that prevents motion sickness, although how this works remains yet to be detailed.

The N8L has yet to be confirmed for UK sale, but BYD vice-president Stella Li previously highlighted the N9 (on which the N8L is based) as a potential candidate for Denza’s global line-up.

"We need premium," Li told Autocar. "This year [at the Goodwood Festival of Speed] we have three models from Denza as premium models which give you a new experience - really focusing on the premium area."

To that end, the N8L would probably be priced to undercut key rivals in the luxury SUV class. In China it's priced from the equivalent of £32,000, but it would probably cost significantly more here.