2026 BYD Denza N8L PHEV Walkaround: 751 hp Six-Seater, 1,300 km Range, From CNY 299,800 (~$44,700)

The original Denza N8L, launched in China on October 28, 2025, is a six-seat plug-in hybrid SUV with a 751 hp tri-motor system, a 46.99 kWh battery good for 230 km of CLTC electric range, and up to 1,300 km of combined range. It costs CNY 299,800 or CNY 329,800 (about $44,700 or $49,200 at 6.70 yuan per dollar). In this showroom walkaround a dealer-channel reviewer goes through the exterior, the electrically folding third row, the centre-console refrigerator and what he describes as an official English interface. Denza has since refreshed the N8L (June 2026, 75.26 kWh battery, 430 km of electric range), so this article covers the version that launched in 2025.

Performance & Specs

Three electric motors — a 200 kW (268 hp) unit at the front and two 180 kW (241 hp) units at the rear — add up to 560 kW (751 hp) of peak system output, with a 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine rated at 152 kW (204 hp) working alongside them in an all-wheel-drive layout. Denza quotes 0-100 km/h in 3.9 seconds, quick for a six-seat SUV of this size. The 46.99 kWh battery is good for 230 km of CLTC electric range and, with a full tank and a full battery, up to 1,300 km combined. The launch coverage we checked does not state a top speed or a torque figure; the reviewer read out both from memory and said himself that he was unsure of them, so neither is printed here.

Powertrain	PHEV, tri-motor AWD (2.0T + 3 electric motors)
Power	560 kW (751 hp)
Engine	2.0T, 152 kW (204 hp)
0–100 km/h	3.9 s
Battery	46.99 kWh
Range	230 km EV / up to 1,300 km total

Dimensions & Practicality

Length	5,200 mm
Width	1,999 mm
Height	1,820 mm
Wheelbase	3,075 mm

At 5,200 mm long on a 3,075 mm wheelbase, the N8L is a 2+2+2 six-seater. In the walkaround the second row is two electrically adjustable captain’s chairs with a large screen and cup holders between them, and the third row folds and unfolds electrically from the tailgate area. Climbing into the third row, the reviewer found enough leg and headroom for an adult and pointed out air vents and USB ports back there, calling the car a good family sitter overall. He estimated the boot behind the third row at roughly 230 L but noted that no official figure was shown; we could not confirm one either. The car on the floor rides on 265/45 R21 tyres on 21-inch wheels.

Charging & Battery

The plug-in hybrid runs a 46.99 kWh battery. Two charging ports sit on the right side of the car, one for slow AC and one for fast DC charging. Denza’s launch coverage does not give a DC charging power, so the only charging times here are the reviewer’s own remarks: about 20 minutes on a fast charger and around 7 hours on a slow one to reach 80%. Treat those as rough dealer-floor figures, not official specifications. The later refresh moved to a 75.26 kWh battery with much faster charging, which makes the 2025 version’s battery the smaller of the two.

Design & Interior

The front end follows the design of the larger Denza N9: LED daytime running lights, LED headlights with a high-beam unit, a 360-degree camera and a functional grille. At the rear the reviewer points out two exhaust outlets, one on each side, and says both are functional. Inside, he shows a big central entertainment screen, electric seats, a head-up display, an illuminated vanity mirror, a fixed glass roof with a sunshade, and the touch-operated refrigerator. He says the interface can be switched to English officially. Personally he prefers the Denza N9, which he finds better looking and more spacious, but he still calls the N8L a very good luxury SUV under the BYD umbrella.

Technology & Features

The driver-assist system is BYD’s God’s Eye B, which at launch was described as supporting parking-to-parking assisted driving; the reviewer also demonstrates automatic parking assist and lists several selectable drive modes, ambient lighting and a fully touchscreen-controlled cabin. The cabin has a head-up display, a 360-degree camera and NFC-card entry, and both paddles behind the steering wheel are functional. Launch coverage does not specify whether the car has LiDAR.

Available Versions

Pricing & Availability

The original N8L went on sale in China on October 28, 2025 in two trims priced at CNY 299,800 and CNY 329,800, about $44,700 and $49,200 at 6.70 yuan per dollar. The dealer in the video quotes about $45,000 for the entry version and about $50,000 for the highest one as export prices; those are reseller quotes, not official prices. Denza refreshed the plug-in N8L on June 23, 2026 with a 75.26 kWh battery, 430 km of electric range and prices of CNY 319,800 and CNY 349,800 (about $47,700 and $52,200), and a separate all-electric N8L followed on September 14, 2026. As of September 2026 Denza has not confirmed a European or North American retail launch of the N8L, so availability outside China is unconfirmed.

How It Compares

Both rivals are six-seat large SUVs. The N8L trails its bigger Denza sibling on power (751 hp against 912 hp) and on electric range (230 km against 420 km) but starts about CNY 110,000 lower (roughly $16,400). Against the XPeng GX extended-range trim it offers 255 hp more for an entry price only about CNY 10,000 (roughly $1,500) higher, while the GX counters with 430 km of electric range against the N8L’s 230 km and a longer 1,585 km combined range.