James Bond Alone Won’t Sell Chinese Luxury Cars Abroad

With domestic demand cooling, China’s upscale car brands should be aggressively pushing offerings overseas in the same way as their mass-market cousins. But charging three times the home price — as BYD Co. did when it introduced its latest luxury model in Europe — is not the way to go, even if James Bond-actor Daniel Craig is the pitchman.

The British star was hired to promote the Denza Z9GT at its Paris debut last month. Billed by some as the world’s longest-range electric vehicle, the car itself is a compelling product. A second-generation blade battery enables five-minute charging to achieve about 400 miles of range. Other features that mark it as a high-end model include the ability to reach a speed of 60 miles per hour in less than three seconds and independent rear-wheel steering for precise moves, including compass turns and lateral parking.