Today I visited the Pondok Indah BYD store to see the Denza D9, which is currently very popular.
I contacted a salesperson beforehand and visited the Pondok Indah BYD store to confirm if I could see the Denza D9.
When I visited, they said that they were not currently accepting down payments and were still preparing the car, so I was able to go to the back maintenance area to see it.
It was shining when I visited. They said that the cars currently imported into Indonesia are Arctic White and Cosmos Black.
There were only two white cars at the Pondok Indah branch, and they said I would have to check which branch has black.
Since it was a little difficult to distinguish the white color from brochures and photos, I'll express it in words... It's a bit disappointing white.
It's not a high-class pearly white, but almost pure white. I could only see brown interiors. They said there is beige too,
but personally, since beige seats are difficult to maintain, I wasn't interested.
They said that other colors of cars (Whale Sea Blue, Harbour Gray) will be imported into Indonesia in April or May, so please refer to that.
In the past, when I was crazy about cars and bought new cars every two years, I used to look at cars based on their appearance and driver's seat standards, but recently I have been focusing on space and convenience.
This is the space of the second row seats. I am not small, as my height is 183cm and my weight is 95kg.
Even considering that the passenger seat was pulled forward, the space in the second row is more than spacious.
The tray mounted on the back of the passenger seat is not automatic, but its unfolding and folding are very luxurious.
I thought a lot about the space and functionality.
These are the sliding door handle and window buttons. There doesn't seem to be anything particularly special about them.
Although the door lock button is a different shape than that of a typical passenger car, I felt it was very user-friendly in terms of its location.
The manual sunshade can be easily raised and lowered.
This is a small refrigerator located in the second row. It opens and closes automatically with a button on the right side, and it can hold about five small PET bottles of drinks.
Most of the convenience features are based on the second row.
This is the cup holder between the second row seats. Personally, I was a little disappointed with this part.
It's located too low, and the process of taking out and putting in drinks was unfamiliar and inconvenient.
I don't think I'll use it much.
There is a wireless charging tray and USB C Type wired connector located outside the two-row seat.
It's difficult to convey the feeling of the brown interior through photos...
Personally, I wish the color was a bit deeper.
Furthermore, the ceiling lining is made of fiber... Considering that Indonesian cars are expensive, and given the specifications and target audience for this vehicle,
I feel it would have been better if they had used Alcantara.
Overall, the materials for the seats, interior, and plastic parts give a premium feel.
Especially the plastic interior parts, which can easily look cheap, do not give that impression at all. They used high-quality materials.
This is the LCD screen located on the second-row armrest. Almost all functions, except for driving functions in the car, could be controlled through this LCD.
Sunroof, seat adjustment, air conditioning control, lighting, door locks, audio, and almost all other controls were done through this small screen.
Unlike Toyota's Alphard, the footrest function of the limousine seat is controlled through the LCD on the armrest, not a button.
The sunroof for the second and third rows covers almost two-thirds of the car, providing excellent openness.
The sunroof in the first row is also a standard size.
I sat in the third row. As you can see in the picture... there's still room for one of my fists to fit even after sitting comfortably.
It's a spacious enough space for a well-built adult to sit in.
This is the trunk space with the third row pushed all the way back. It looks like it could fit about four travel suitcases.
Folding down the third row opens up even more space, so as the car specs show, there's no room for complaint in terms of size.
The driver's seat was... a standard electric seat setup, I guess you could say. And they said the first and second rows have ventilated seats.
The wood grain, plastic, and leather finishes on the front seats were high-quality materials you'd expect to see in a luxury car.
Furthermore, the mood lighting wasn't excessive and added a touch of sophistication to the interior design with its appropriate size and brightness.
Personally, since I was considering buying a Kia Carnival, I ended up comparing it to the Carnival... and there was one thing that left me disappointed when I saw the Carnival at the showroom.
It was the plastic interior trim. Really... what can I say... for a car over 100 million won, shouldn't it have better materials?
The plastic interior trim gave off such a cheap feeling. I was disappointed, but with the Denza D9, I didn't get that impression at all.
The 10.25-inch dashboard LCD had a size and functionality almost like that of a laptop. Google Maps was applied for navigation.
Checking how data communication is done, it says '4G network connection', so it probably uses a USIM or
doesn't use its own network like Hyundai's Bluelink. In addition, it supports tethering inside the car, so
my guess might be right.
Considering that most smartphones nowadays support wireless charging, the driver's side center tray also has two wireless charging pads for smartphones.
It uses 235 / 60 R 18 tires as standard specifications. 235mm width and 18-inch tires... are wider than the standard specifications of the Alphard, which is in the same class.
The standard specification of the Alphard is 225 / 55 R 19. While 19 inches look cool, I think Denza D9 with 18 inches and 235mm tire width is better because
riding comfort is more important than looks.
Even if the suspension is excellent, the ride comfort provided by wide and thick tires cannot be ignored.
It's a part I personally experienced when I used to tune car exteriors at Form & Function. Thick and wide tires provide better ride comfort than thin tires with large wheels, even though they look good.
If you consider ride comfort, 18 inches and 235mm tire width seem to be the right choice.
The driver's side door is equipped with a ghost door function. It's an option usually applied to Genesis-class vehicles in Korea, but seeing it applied to the Denza D9
gave me the impression that they paid attention to even the smallest details.
Although I couldn't actually drive it, considering its exterior design, configuration, convenience, and materials, I want to give it a high score.
950 million rupiah is not cheap, but compared to other vehicles in the same class, it offers the merit of being an electric car and doesn't seem lacking.
If I were asked to choose between this and the Kia Carnival mentioned earlier, I would probably choose the Denza.
It was launched last week and about 1,200 units have been sold so far.
I also visited and asked when the delivery date would be if I reserved now, and they said at the earliest it would be April.
The first batch has already ended and delivery will happen when the second batch arrives, so the waiting time is at least 2 months or more.
The difference from car purchasing in Korea is that there are no benefits given by salespeople at all.
It's not that they don't want to give benefits, but they say they have no authority to do so, making it difficult to apply Korean car purchasing practices here.
Moreover, like most other vehicles in Indonesia, the basic tinting is not included in the delivery, so the buyer must get the tinting done themselves after purchase,
and the floor mats are also not included in the vehicle. Although many people recently use honeycomb mats, it's a bit odd that they're not included as standard.
In conclusion, aside from the vehicle price, considering the cost of tinting and mats is one thing to remember.
One of the things more expensive than Korea is tinting, with an estimated price of about 10-15JT.
In conclusion, while the seat color not being customizable and having to do tinting and mats yourself are personally disappointing,
after seeing the vehicle in person, comparing, sitting in it, and testing it.... given that I feel like I need to save up money, I think it deserves a high score. ^^
To summarize the advantages....
Currently the only 7-seater electric multipurpose vehicle in Indonesia
The interior materials and convenience features are so excellent that it seems to have great value for money
The space is wider than comparable vehicles and everything is concentrated around the second row
Disappointing points....
You must do the tinting yourself.
You must purchase floor mats separately.
The ceiling material is fabric.
Since I'm not at a professional level to review cars, I've written this review from the perspective of an actual user.
As there may be some inaccurate information, please visit a BYD showroom directly or confirm details with a salesperson.
