Denza B5 and B8

Overview

DENZA has launched into the Australian market this week with a pair of plug-in hybrid four-wheel drive SUVs named the B5 and B8.

Featuring Blade Battery technology and turbocharged petrol engines familiar to the BYD range, the Denza B5 and B8 compare favourably with the Toyota LandCruiser Prado and Land Rover Defender 130 in terms of size, offering five- and the choice of six- or seven-seat cabin configurations respectively.

The premium segment duo is said by its manufacturer to bring a transformative combination of performance, capability, driving comfort, and safety to the luxury off-road market.

The Denza B5 (from $74,990) is powered by the combination of a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and dual electric motors, with the combination of an 83-litre fuel tank and 31.8kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery providing a quoted driving range of up to 975km (NEDC) – 100km on electric power alone.

Total output is listed at 400kW/760Nm delivered with a permanent four-wheel drive system.

For the larger B8 (from $91,000) we find a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and dual electric motors joining a larger 36.8kWh LFP battery and 91-litre fuel tank for a combined driving range of 1040km (NEDC) – with 115km on electric power alone.

Total output is quoted at 425kW/760Nm, delivered to the road again via a permanent four-wheel drive system.

Both engines are compatible with standard 91RON unleaded petrol.

Denza quotes a 0-100km/h time of 4.8 seconds for each model, despite respective kerb weights of 2897kg for the entry-grade B5 and 3290kg for the standard B8.

Both the Denza B5 and B8 are fitted as standard with a heavy-duty tow bar and 12-pin connector. The B5 offers a braked towing capacity of 3000kg and the larger B8 a class competitive 3500kg.

Ventilated disc brakes are fitted front and rear on both the B5 and B8, with long-travel double wishbone suspension on both axles. A full-size spare wheel is standard equipment on all variants.

The Denza B5 is offered as a five-seater in two trim grades – the B5 and B5 Leopard – while the flagship B8 arrives in six- and seven-seat configurations, named simply the 6S and 7S.

All offer regenerative braking and bi-directional vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality, and all are built on Denza’s innovative ladder-type cell-to-chassis (CTC) architecture which encircles and protects the Blade Battery in a ring of high-strength steel.

Front, side, curtain, knee, and centre airbags take the total offering to 11 in the B5 and 13 in the B8 ensuring all seating rows are provided with SRS coverage.

A full complement of ADAS technologies is present in both models, with safety feature highlights including adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, front- and rear cross-traffic alert, lane keeping assistance, and a 360-degree camera system.

Both models score a full five-star ANCAP safety rating.

In fitting with the models’ premium position, both the Denza B5 and B8 are equipped with “detailed” noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) damping qualities. Multiple pairs of cabin-isolating rubber bushings, active engine mounts, sound-deadening glass, and significant noise abatement materials feature as standard, joining an extensive list of premium features.

Available features include heated, cooled, and massaging seats with electronic adjustment in all rows, soft-close doors, nappa leather upholstery, a seven-litre fridge/hotbox between the front seats, panoramic roof, Connected Services app, keyless entry and start, and a driver’s head-up display.

Infotainment screens measure 15.6 inches for the B5 and 17.3 inches for the B8 with both offering wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, 4G in-car connection (with 2GB of data included per month for two years), and a French-made Devialet premium audio system with up to 18 speakers.

Both the Denza B5 and B8 are equipped with a grip-sensing, multi-mode all-wheel drive system with a clutched low-range ratio on the rear electric motor, locking mechanical rear differential (and front locker for the B8 7S), tank-style turn functionality dubbed Leopard Turn, selectable drive modes – Comfort, Eco, and Sport – and selectable terrain modes – Snow, Sand, Mud, Mountain, Rock, Intelligent, and others, including one specifically for recovering other vehicles.

Active suspension, known as DiSus-P, is offered in combination with adaptive dampers as standard on both models, the system providing both self-levelling technology and the ability to adjust each wheel independently.

Ride height is adjustable through 140mm, increasing ground clearance up to 310mm at the push of a button.

Denza quotes an approach, departure, and break-over angle of up to 39 degrees, 35 degrees, and 27 degrees for the B5 with ground clearance and wading depth measurements of 310mm and 790mm respectively.

Those figures for the larger B8 are 34 degrees, 35 degrees, 26 degrees, 310mm, and 890mm respectively.

Visually, the B5 and B8 are differentiated by what Denza describes as “unique but familiar design aesthetics”, each embracing functional off-roader elements accentuated by a bold front-end with full LED lighting, bevelled bumpers, integrated side steps, flared guards with exposed fasteners, raised roof rails, exposed retrieval points, and “practical” door pulls.

The B8 adds “starship” design aesthetics includes running lights that create “the outline of wings of an interplanetary starship” and tail-lights that provide “an afterburner effect, giving the illusion of a futuristic jet engine exhaust”. The planetary motif continues in the spare wheel cover, with two distinct lines top and bottom to symbolise Saturn’s rings.

The B8’s soft-close doors have flush-mounted handles to provide a clean body silhouette.

Alloy wheel sizes for the B5 measure 18 inches in diameter while the B5 Leopard wears 20-inch alloys. The B8 rides on 20-inch wheels irrespective of grade.

Denza will replicate BYD’s Australian warranty, providing six years/150,000km vehicle coverage with a separate eight year/160,000km battery warranty. Capped service pricing is still being finalised.

Driving Impressions

With the Denza B5 and B8 being of similar construction – and with similar driveline configurations – we have rolled the review of the duo into one, saving detailed seven-day reviews of each for a later occasion.

Having said that, it is important to note that Denza held nothing back in offering the Australian and New Zealand media access to its vehicles in South Australia’s Flinders Ranges, putting the vehicles through their paces at the challenging Skytrek four-wheel drive park at Willow Springs Station.

If you’re not familiar with the setting, then it’s fair to say this is not a course for amateur drivers, nor for ill-prepared vehicles. Should the B5 and B8 prove themselves here, they can just about prove themselves anywhere.

The Denza B5 and B8 ride on a body-on-frame, or ladder frame chassis which surrounds the high-voltage battery and provides the rigidity needed for heavy towing and the extensive twisting forces that accompany gnarly off-road work.

In both instances, the turbocharged petrol engine runs in conjunction with an electric motor to provide drive to the front axle, with the rear driven solely by electric power – eliminating the need for a tail shaft and transfer case.

Low range is provided by clutched gearing to the rear axle only, with other terrain settings applied via electronic intervention.

Denza has tuned the ride and handling of the B5 and B8 for Australian conditions, the models said to feel significantly different to the derivatives sold under the Fangchengbao name back in China.

Obviously, we can’t assess those differences here, but we can report that there are quite marked differences between the B5 and the B8, the latter riding far more firmly and with less suspension travel off-road.

Denza said the initial tune of the Fangchengbao was too soft for Australian and New Zealand tastes, though in the case of the B8, we think it may have moved the needle too far in the ‘firmness’ direction. The B5, by contrast, feels plusher, and appears to offer greater wheel articulation in off-road settings.

Ride quality is exceptional by relative standards, and road noise non-existent. Both the B5 and B8 are among the quietest vehicles we have sampled in recent times – not just the quietest SUVs, not just the quietest four-wheel drives, but the quietest of any vehicle from any class you care to name.

We found the DiSus-P suspension arrangement – with its variable hydraulic dampers – of benefit for the most part, providing excellent bump absorption and well-contained lateral movement, impressive considering the kerb weight of the duo.

However, with close to three tonnes of inertia in play, we noted excessive longitudinal movement, with squatting from both vehicles evident under harder acceleration and some pitching observed under braking – both characteristics Denza claims to have addressed.

It’s a compromise that can be hard to dial in, especially when offering the clearance and off-road geometry Denza’s B5 and B8 claim. With a little extra tweaking, we see no reason both vehicles shouldn’t lead the class in ride and handling; but for now, the jury is still out.

Interestingly, and despite the claims, we did not feel that the B5 or B8 were as powerful as the brochure would have you believe. Acceleration is brisk, don’t get us wrong, but it isn’t as ‘supercar fast’ as the figures might suggest – no doubt (again) as a result of the duo’s excessive kerb weight.

It’s a point that not only curtails what should be quite impressive acceleration, but crucially, limits payload and tow ball down weight figures.

Against key rivals, the B5 (with between 490kg and 600kg depending on variant) and B8 (with between 698kg and 702kg) offer limited capacity for the needs of long-distance touring. Add a family of four, luggage, fuel, and five per cent of the braked towing allowance on the ball and you begin to get the picture…

Still, we’re not sure most B5 and B8 buyers will mind. While Denza reckons it can take on the likes of Land Rover and Lexus, the reality is that the majority of B5 and B8s will never venture far from the beaten path, let alone with the cargo hold packed to the gunnels and a dual-axle caravan in tow.

As has been the case with related BYD products, the Denza’s petrol-electric strategy is one that ensures the LFP battery is maintained at a state of charge that does not allow the petrol engine to operate on its lonesome. This contributes not only to having predictable power delivery at all times, but steady energy use across the board.

Our long-distance trek from Adelaide to Willow Springs – and a day on the rugged trails therein – returned an average of 8.2 litres per 100km in the B5 and 11.1L/100km in the B8; not bad when all is considered.

While the quietness and comfort of the B5 and B8 are admirable, we found it difficult to enjoy the serenity of the cabin due to the incessant intervention of Denza’s uptight ADAS technologies.

Speed limit warnings, distraction warnings, lane position warnings, vehicle proximity warnings, and others are over-sensitive, over-reactive, and almost continual, forcing us to pull over and disengage almost every electronic assistant before continuing on our way (and again after each ignition cycle).

Perhaps amusingly, the vehicles also ‘ding’ regularly to let you know that its ADAS systems are disengaged when driving off-road, despite the software itself disengaging those systems when low-range four-wheel drive is in use. You cannot win – and it’s enough to drive you mad.

Assuming you can live with the dings and dongs, the somewhat spongey ride, and the 150,000km coverage offered alongside Denza’s six-year warranty, then you just might be the kind of buyer this Chinese importer has in its sights.

The Denza duo is well constructed, thoughtfully finished, and mightily capable – the kinds of cars that can cruise comfortably to a spot like Willow Springs, take on Skytrek, and drive back home without an issue.

With a little more fine-tuning (and perhaps an extensive diet) we think the B5 and B8 could really turn the luxury four-wheel drive market on its head.