BYD's joint venture with Mercedes-Benz, Denza, which was unknown in China until a few years ago, gained momentum as BYD took a controlling stake in the company last year. Now, Denza is looking to build further on it.

Denza officially launched the Denza N7 at an event in Beijing on Monday, and the electric SUV targets the market where the Tesla Model Y sits with a starting price of RMB 301,800. The Denza N7 is a 5-seat mid-size SUV with a length, width and height of 4,860 mm, 1,935 mm and 1,602 mm respectively, and a wheelbase of 2,940 mm.

Denza was established in 2010 as a joint venture between BYD and Daimler, with each holding a 50 percent stake at the time. In February 2022, the Daimler brand was rebranded as Mercedes-Benz. BYD increased its stake in Denza to 90 percent last year.

In August 2022, Denza launched the D9 MPV, the brand's first model after the reorganization. The Denza N7 is the second model after Denza's shareholding change and its first SUV. With the D9 providing a new option for the MPV market, Denza has become one of the top new car-making brands in China in terms of deliveries.

In June, the Denza delivered 11,058 vehicles, marking the fourth consecutive month above the 10,000-unit mark.

It is worth noting that these sales were contributed by the D9, while MPVs traditionally have a small total addressable market in China, only about 10 percent of the market for sedan or SUV models.