Daniel Craig is done being Bond. Well, mostly. The role retired in 2021 with No Time To Die, and five films is plenty. Now the man who defined the 007 generation for a decade is doing something far more mundane. Or perhaps just different.
He is driving a Denza.
Not an Aston Martin DB5 with ejector seats. Not even a DBS Special Edition. But a Chinese electric grand tourer that belongs to BYD, one of the world’s biggest EV manufacturers. Specifically, the new Z9 GT.
It’s a strange pivot. Craig, known for brooding intensity, now stars in a commercial that leans heavily into domestic comfort rather than global espionage.
Daniel Craig represents a compelling combination of strength… and authenticity.
So said Stella Li, executive vice president of BYD, in a press release that sounds exactly like a press release. But look past the corporate speak. The ad is surprisingly grounded.
Craig is standing in the rain. His dog, adorable and stubborn, refuses to move. So Craig does what any modern driver would do. He doesn’t struggle. He opens an app on his smartphone. The car reverses itself out of the parking spot via Remote Parking Assist. The dog walks in peace.
Then comes the release.
The countryside calls. The rain stops. The Z9 GT turns wild. It drifts through dirt, sends mud flying, and does donuts for fun. It’s rugged. It’s sleek. It’s fast.
Craig isn’t just in this one ad. He is the face of the global launch for Denza. He will appear in TV spots for the whole lineup, including the massive B8 SUV. Sydney-based MGI Entertainment handled the production, bridging the gap between British actor and Chinese manufacturer.
This partnership isn’t happening in a vacuum. Denza is expanding aggressively. Markets in Europe, Latin America, the Middle Africa are next. Australia got the first look at the B5 and B8 SUVs earlier this year, plus the D9 electric shuttle. The Z9 GT joins the Aussie stable in the third quarter of 2026? That date is key.
Pricing isn’t out yet. Neither are full specs for local models. But the hardware speaks volumes.
This car aims to kill the Porsche Taycan. Not subtly.
- Tri-motor powertrain.
- 850 kW total output (in the Chinese version).
- 2.7 seconds to 100 km/h.
- Blade Battery 2.0, the latest from BYD.
It is the first all-electric vehicle in Australia to feature that specific battery tech. And it charges fast.
Flash charging.
The name implies speed, and it delivers. Peak DC capacity hits 1500 kW. Denza claims you can go from 10% to 97% in about nine minutes. Nine minutes. While you grab coffee. While the dog finishes a bath.
Charging stations for this feature are coming to Melbourne, Sydney, and Adelaide dealers later in 2026.
Is it really 007-worthy? Technically, no. There are no machine guns hidden in the door handles. No laser turrets. Instead, there is a fridge inside. There is a 50-inch AR head-up display. You can control the car from your phone.
That last bit does sound like a Bond movie. Specifically Tomorrow Never Dies, when the villain uses a phone to manipulate the protagonist’s car. The difference here? The intent. Convenience. Safety. The suspension, called DiSus-A, is advanced enough to manage a tire blowout at highway speed. The software keeps you on the road when physics says you should crash.
But remember, it won’t submerge. Do not drive it underwater. Unless you own the Yangwang U8, another BYD subsidiary model with an “emergency floating mode.”
This isn’t the first time Denza has tried to be premium. The brand is a remnant of a 50:50 joint venture between BYD, the electric car giant, and Mercedes-Benz. Started in 2010. The first car, the Denza EV, was an awkward four-door sedan. Kind of like a stretched B-Class. It launched in 2014 and died in 2019.
Sales were bad. Less than 15,001 units in a decade.
Mercedes gave up. They reduced their stake in 2021, sold the last 10 percent in 2023? Or was it 2024? The reports say BYD fully took control by 2024, spinning the luxury brand off as purely BYD. But it kept the Denza name, which had some cachet from its German association.
It works now.
Craig, between Knives Out sequels and Bond memories, keeps the momentum. Denis Villeneuve is directing the next 007 film, and no release date exists yet.
Maybe Craig misses the suits. Or maybe he prefers the dirt.
