BYD has started offering Apple CarPlay on cars sold in China, bringing the feature to its domestic lineup for the first time with the Denza Z9S sedan.
The Chinese giant announced the rollout in a Weibo post on Thursday, stating CarPlay was officially live and naming the Z9S as the first model to receive it.
A footnote in the post said other models will follow through subsequent over-the-air (OTA) updates.
BYD did not name those models or give a timetable.
BYD framed the move as part of its “phone-car connectivity” push, which the company said marks a further evolution of its smart cockpit ecosystem.
‘Small Window’ Format
BYD’s claim of a first rests on how CarPlay appears on screen.
In the Z9S, CarPlay runs in a small window alongside BYD’s own interface instead of taking over the entire display.
BYD’s Weibo post labelled the format China’s first small-window CarPlay display.
Denza General Manager Li Hui made a broader claim at the model’s August 3 pre-sale event, calling the Z9S the world’s first vehicle to support Apple CarPlay’s small-window mode.
Li also described the Z9S as the only model in the world compatible with every mainstream phone brand, naming Huawei, Apple, Xiaomi, OPPO, vivo, Honor and Samsung.
CarPlay runs on the sedan’s central display.
The cockpit features a 17.3-inch central control screen and introduces the Diva intelligent companion and the AI super agent “Didi Xia,” supporting voice interaction and cross-scenario service calls.
Not the first CarPlay in a Chinese car
The Z9S is not the first Chinese-brand car to offer CarPlay in its home market.
Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun disclosed that the company’s first electric vehicle, the SU7, would be Apple CarPlay compatible, showing the feature in a video posted on his personal Weibo account in June 2024.
Two months earlier, Lei said Apple users accounted for 51.9% of SU7 lock-in orders, and pledged to make the Xiaomi sedan the most Apple-friendly EV available.
Until now, BYD’s China-market infotainment systems had not supported CarPlay or Android Auto.
Some Chinese automakers have avoided CarPlay, citing security concerns, according to KrASIA, which named Baidu’s CarLife as an alternative.
Outside China, BYD already supports CarPlay.
Apple’s compatibility list includes BYD models sold in overseas markets such as the Atto 3, Dolphin, Seal, Seal U, Seagull and Han.
Denza Z9S
Denza launched the Z9S in China one day before the CarPlay announcement.
The flash charging premium variant is priced at 255,800 yuan ($38,100), the flash charging flagship variant at 275,800 yuan ($41,100), and the e3 flash charging performance variant at 325,800 yuan ($48,500).
Launch prices came in well below pre-sale levels.
The Z9S opened for pre-sales on August 3, when the three variants were priced at 319,800 yuan ($47,700), 349,800 yuan ($52,100), and 389,800 yuan ($58,100), respectively.
The cuts give the new model more pricing room to compete with models in the segment, which include the Xiaomi SU7 and XPeng P7.
The two lower-priced variants are both powered by a 370 kW (496 hp) rear-mounted single motor, with CLTC ranges of 920 km (571.7 miles) and 1,100 km (683.5 miles), respectively.
The performance variant adopts a tri-motor all-wheel-drive system with a combined output of 890 kW, a CLTC range of 780 km (484.7 miles), and 0 to 100 km/h acceleration in as fast as 2.68 seconds.
Denza claims the flagship’s range sets a record.
The company said the 1,100 km range is a new global record for mass-produced all-electric vehicles, surpassing the 1,036 km (643.7 miles) announced for the revamped Z9GT launched in March.
Under WLTP, the premium, flagship and performance variants achieve 745 km (463 miles), 891 km (554 miles) and 632 km (393miles), respectively.
All Z9S variants feature BYD’s second-generation Blade Battery and flash charging technology, allowing the battery to charge from 10% to 70% in 5 minutes, and from 10% to 97% in 9 minutes.
The sedan measures 5,090 mm long, 1,980 mm wide and 1,490 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 3,025 mm.
Driver assistance comes from BYD’s God’s Eye 5.0 system, supporting urban and highway navigation assistance as well as parking assistance.
The Z9S is the third model in the Denza Z9 series, following the Z9 and Z9GT.
Denza Positioning
Denza sold 16,001 vehicles in August, up 33.4% from a year ago but down 16.6% from July.
Denza debuted in Europe at Milan Design Week in April 2025.
BYD introduced the Z9GT to the European market at an event in Paris in April, bringing its flash charging technology to Europe for the first time. The electric version is priced from €115,000 ($130,700).
BYD is also building a design studio in Milan dedicated to making Denza vehicles more appealing to European buyers, led by design chief Wolfgang Egger.
