BYD renames Denza premium brand Danza in Indonesia after trademark loss

Top image: Photo: Calreyn88, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

BYD’s premium brand will no longer be sold as Denza in Indonesia. PT BYD Motor Indonesia has confirmed that the label now goes by Danza in the local market. The change follows a trademark dispute that BYD lost in the Indonesian courts.

Signs of the switch appeared on 1 October, when the brand’s Indonesian social media accounts changed from “Denza Indonesia” to “Danza Indonesia”, CNN Indonesia reported. A day later, BYD confirmed the change on the record.

“Denza has officially changed its name to Danza as its brand identity in Indonesia.”
— Luther Panjaitan, Head of PR & Government, PT BYD Motor Indonesia, speaking to CNN Indonesia (translated from Indonesian)

Panjaitan described the move as part of the company’s long-term commitment to premium mobility in Indonesia. BYD did not say directly that the rebrand was caused by the legal case, detikOto noted.

How BYD lost the Denza name

Reports from detikOto and CNN Indonesia set out the following timeline:

• 3 July 2023: A local company, PT Worcas Nusantara Abadi, registered “Denza” with Indonesia’s intellectual property office under class 12, which covers vehicles. CNN Indonesia says this protection runs until 2033.
• 8 August 2024: BYD filed its own application for the Denza mark, after the local registration.
• January 2025: BYD launched the Denza D9 electric MPV in Indonesia.
• 28 April 2025: The Central Jakarta Commercial Court rejected all of BYD’s claims. It applied Indonesia’s first-to-file principle and found that Denza was not yet established enough in Indonesia to count as a well-known mark.
• Cassation: The Supreme Court rejected BYD’s appeal in decision No. 1338 K/Pdt.Sus-HKI/2025. According to detikOto, the court found that ownership of the Denza mark had by then passed to another company, PT Raden Reza Adi.
• 11 August 2025: BYD applied to register “Danza” in the same vehicle class.

The case shows how much risk trademark squatting creates under a first-to-file system. Brands that apply for local trademarks only shortly before launch are the most exposed.

Same cars, new badge

According to Oto.com, the line-up moves across to the Danza name. It includes the D9 MPV, which has been the brand’s main model in Indonesia, along with the B5, N9 and Z9 GT. Dealers now trade under names such as Danza Harmoni and Danza Arista. BYD says its service standards will stay the same under the new identity.

detikOto also compared official vehicle tax valuations (NJKB) under the 2026 regulation. These values are used to calculate annual vehicle tax. Entries registered as Danza carry lower values than earlier Denza entries. In one example, an AWD variant is listed at Rp 585 million as Danza, against Rp 931 million as Denza. detikOto did not explain the difference. It is not clear whether it comes from the name change alone or from different variant specifications, so buyers should check the valuation for their exact model.

What it means for buyers

• Existing owners: According to BYD and dealer reports, warranty cover, servicing and the dealer network carry on as before. Only the name on the badge and the paperwork changes. Owners should keep their purchase documents in case dealer or registration records need to be reconciled.
• New buyers: Look for “Danza” in price lists, dealer listings and registration documents. If an official dealer quotes for a “Denza” model, it should be the same car under the old name.
• Running costs: If the lower NJKB values apply to the model you choose, the annual vehicle tax could be lower. Under current rules, most battery-electric cars are taxed lightly anyway. Our guide to EV taxes and incentives in 2026 explains how this works.

The rebrand comes as BYD expands in Indonesia. Its Subang factory is ramping up, and stricter local-content rules from 2027 are on the way. Our directory has entries for BYD and Danza (formerly Denza).

Update, 15 October 2026: Danza has since launched the New D9 and Z9 GT in Indonesia with BYD flash charging. Read our launch report.

Sources: CNN Indonesia (1 Oct); CNN Indonesia (2 Oct); detikOto; detikOto; detikOto; Oto.com