Sime Motors has begun recruiting staff to join the Sime Denza team in two key locations within Peninsular Malaysia. This seems to indicate that Sime and BYD are getting closer to officially launching Denza in Malaysia.
Back in October, BYD announced that it had appointed Sime Darby Auto Imports as the official importer of Denza vehicles for Malaysia. At the same time, BYD Malaysia will also become the brand’s official distributor in our market.
Before the official announcement, the Managing Director of BYD Malaysia, Eagle Zhao has already confirmed the imminent arrival of Denza into Malaysia. During the launch of BYD Seal Dynamic, the executive said that the premium sub-brand of BYD will be making its official debut in Malaysia within Q1 of 2025.
Sime Denza is setting up operations in KL, Penang
According to the recruitment advertisement that Sime Motors published on Facebook earlier today, here are the roles that are currently available at Sime Denza:
- Sales Advisor
- Service Advisor
- Technician
- Sales Admin
- Front Desk Officer
- Parts Officer
- Warranty Officer
The advertisement also revealed that these roles will be based in KL and Penang. These vacancies have also been listed on the Sime Careers website, although the listings didn’t reveal the specific locations for each role.
Denza D9 is likely the first Denza model for Malaysia
While details regarding Denza’s launch in Malaysia are still under wrap, we will likely see Denza D9 as the brand’s first product in our market. After all, the premium MPV has been released in several right-hand drive markets such as Singapore, Hong Kong, and Thailand.
In fact, one of Denza’s dealers in Singapore is Vantage Automotive, a subsidiary of Sime Motors. Over there, the Denza D9 is available in two variants including the D9 Elite and D9 Grandeur although both of them have a 7-seater configuration.
Featuring a front-wheel drive setup, the Denza D9 Elite is equipped with a 230kW electric motor that also produces 360Nm of torque. It can also go from 0 to 100km/h in 9.5 seconds and has a WLTP-rated range of 520km.
On the other hand, the Denza D9 Grandeur which has an all-wheel drive setup comes with a set of two motors that provide a total power output of 275kW alongside 470Nm of torque. The 0 to 100km/h timing on this variant is also slightly faster at 6.9 seconds but has a lower range at 480km.
Both of these Denza D9 variants are powered by a 103.36kWh LFP-based BYD Blade Battery pack. They have also been fitted with an 11kW 3-phase AC onboard charger and can support DC charging speeds of up to 166kW.
Once launched in Malaysia, Denza D9 will compete against the likes of Zeekr 009 and Maxus MIFA 9. It will also go head-to-head with the de facto kings of premium MPVs, Toyota Alphard and Vellfire.
On a related note, the Denza D9 might join Grab’s fleet in Malaysia too. This is part of the e-hailing company’s new regional partnership with BYD, which will also involve BYD Atto 3, Seal, and M6.
