Denza 500 I gallery (2014–2019)
The first production model of the Denza brand, jointly developed by BYD and Daimler based on the Mercedes-Benz B-Class platform.
The Denza EV electric hatchback was the founding production model of the brand created as a strategic joint venture between Chinese automaker BYD and Germanys Daimler AG. Production of the vehicle commenced in twenty fourteen and continued through twenty nineteen. The model was engineered around a heavily adapted chassis derived from the first-generation Mercedes-Benz B-Class, while the electric powertrain and lithium iron phosphate traction battery were entirely designed by BYD. Throughout its production run, the hatchback underwent substantial technical revisions focused on extending battery capacity and driving range, leading to updated designations such as Denza four hundred in twenty sixteen and Denza five hundred in twenty eighteen. The body style is a spacious five-door hatchback featuring an elevated roofline that provides generous cabin space and premium passenger comfort. Power was supplied by a single front-mounted electric motor delivering between one hundred thirty-eight and one hundred eighty-four horsepower depending on the model year. Positioned as an innovative premium electric vehicle for urban commuters, it showcased the early fusion of German structural engineering and Chinese battery technology before production officially concluded in twenty nineteen to make way for modern crossovers.