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2026 Denza B5 review

Wilton Bashirian4 hours ago

19 minutes read

childcareman.xyz brings reviews, research tools and trusted buying support together, guiding you from research to delivery with confidence.

What’s that, you say? Another new Chinese brand in Australia?

In the last few years, it has been a talk about the constant introduction of new auto brands from China and some have held on to’stronger hold than others’. Exceptional example BYD launched locally in early 2022 and by the end of 2025 became Australia’s eighth-best selling brand.

A trend is emerging, though . An Australian-based Chinese automotive powerhouse, which will launch in Australia and sell well, then start muddying its own waters with other similar brands by introducing new models but ‘different’. IM-thinking MG, Omoda Jaecoo Chery with the word “M” or think m-im.

So it’s BYD’S turn for a piece of that pie, and so is the parodyr. Enter Denza, BYD’s brand for global luxury cars – think of it like Toyota and Lexus but if you know the Chinese market, something is more confusing.

The global lineup of Denza’s products will include models sold under various BYD-owned brands in its home market, as has been the case for other Chinese brands over the past few years. These include Yangwang and Fangchengbao, the latter of which has provided the two plug-in hybrid (PHEV) ladder-frame SUVs Denza has now brought to Australia as part of its first ever introduction.

One is the B8, a huge 3.3-tonne three-row monster with a claimed 0-100km/h time of just 4.8 seconds, and the other is the smaller SUV on test here: the B5, which brings two-row seating but retains the outrageous performance and weight of its bigger sibling.

They’re meant to off-road, too, so they’ll square off against the immovable Toyota LandCruiser family – the 250 Series Prado in the case of the B5 tested here and the 300 Series in this case for the flagship on B8.

The kicker? They’re cheap – really cheap – at least in the context of luxury SUVs. The B5, for example, undercuts both the mainstream Prado and its more luxurious Lexus GX twin, while still packing all the standard equipment you could ever want.

That includes crucial off-road gear such as low-range gearing and mechanical locking differentials, items that BYD was heavily criticised for omitting when its Shark 6 PHEV ute launched in 2025. The B8 is more expensive, sure, but still much cheaper than the LandCruiser 300 Series.

The result is a pair of SUVs that offer far more capability and value than any BYD product seen in Australia to date. Only one issue is that Australians don’t know what a ‘Denza’ is, and the local proliferation of new brands means it could easily be lost in the crowd.

However, Denza is a clear target to become one of the world’s top-five luxury brands in Australia. But it isn’t going in a blind spot, either It plans to grow its dealer network quickly while using the reach of BYD and supporting its customers with bespoke aftersales services and experiences as other luxury brands do.

If a brand doesn’t have the product to support it up, all that counts for nothing is childcareman.xyz was one of the media outlets invited to South Australia to try both the B5 and B8, on-and off-road, in our first proper test of what’s now available in showrooms.

If the price of both B5 is what it takes to shake Australia’s luxury off-road SUV hierarchy, or has BYD ‘s upmarket push’ gone out a step?

How much does the Denza B5 cost?

The B5 is currently the cheapest Denza available in Australia, starting at $74,990 before on-road costs.

| Model | Price before on-road costs |
| — | — |
| 2026 Denza B5 | $74,990 |
| 2026 Denza B5 Leopard | $79,990 |

It is a $5000 premium, and features Nappa leather upholstery with ventilated rear seats, 20-inch alloy wheels and, most recently the advanced DiSus-P hydraulic suspension system of BYD’s. We’ll describe that we’re going to detail later on.

The Denza B8, meanwhile, costs either $91,000 or $97,990 before on-roads, depending on the variant.

The most obvious are the Toyota Prado and Lexus GX twins as for B5 rivals, because the B5, which is rumoured to deliver Lexu-levels of luxury at Toyota prices, its price tag suggests that it’s an indication in terms of pricing. A starting at $73,220 for on-roads (variants with adaptive damping start $88,100 before on road) and $118,320 for the GX550 starts in On- Roads.

You could also consider the Land Rover Defender, which starts at $99,500 before on-roads in five-door form, albeit with a turbo-diesel engine. PHEV variants start at $131,100 before on-roads.

To see how the Denza B5 stacks up against its rivals, use our
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What is the Denza B5 like on the inside?

Several prominent Chinese design cues have entered the B5’s cabin, but there is still an unavoidable sense of quality.

Materials are excellent on initial impressions Buttery-Smooth leather in the steering wheel and centre console; satin finish buttons and accents; comfortable seats finished in plush leather; Nappa leather ( Leopard) Leather, or nappi leather.

Also, you’ll notice a classy set of buttons and switches on the centre console (similar to those that are used in the Shark) Not only does this give some physical controls in an otherwise screen-heavy cabin, but also wonders about perceived luxury – no competitors have crystal-look switches in a cockpit-style arrangement.

There are a lot of other similar touches too, though some are more practical than others. In some cases, the wireless phone charging pads (such as those that are finished in suede and have air vents which keep things cool) while the central cupholders provide incredibly thoughtful button-operated depth adjustment.

In contrast the gear selector, when you start up with the car, inevitably extends up from the centre console and there are loud noise-sounding sounds that can be heard every time you switch drive modes. But I suppose, horses for courses.

Above all things, build quality looks like a great thing. When using any interior fittings, there is no creak or rattle and no excessive movement; even tiny parts like the divider on the wireless charging pad feel welded to the car’s frame.

In a product that has been marketed as ‘BYD, the Denza B5 naturally is tech-heavy inside. A of the 15 is The 15. A 6-inch touchscreen infotainment system plays centre stage – as many Chinese cars do – and it’s where you can get every mode, setting and app in the SUV.

There’s a lot of them, too, . We have been with the B5 and B8, for about six hours, but we feel like we’ve just scratched the surface of everything to be found here. That’s a shame for me to be so daunting, but we like it and all the keys are readily available.

One of the crystal buttons allows access to the drive mode menu, a button on the steering wheel’s vehicle settings menu and an always-on ribbon at the bottom of display (other than swiping gestures for fan speed and temperature) climate system. Several other such shortcuts are available, and all help relieve some of that intimidation.

Otherwise, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard; the display is graphically sharp with no input lag at all. The top of the screen’s housing is hot, no doubt because it gets directly exposed to the sun.

To the B5’s 12 . A 3-inch digital instrument display shows a clean but somewhat boring unit, with typical BYD graphics and largely sparsely populated area with various text, numbers and widgets floating around. Also blocking the upper corners of the steering wheel is a part of ‘s steering.

While there isn’t nearly as much to find here in the infotainment system (although a handful of informative menus are still available through the buttons on the steering wheel) there remains. Its integration into the dashboard is also a little more important than that of the infotainment ‘iPad’.

No one of those things that makes you think this is meant to be a luxury car, and the cabin’s facilities should leave no doubt. Both B5 trims are paired with a central storage box that both refrigerate and heat its contents to start, activating the latter (although it makes humourous warning).

To quote ‘Heating turned on. I am planning to store my C4. Please don’t put Coke and other explosive items inside – please, do not place them inside?

All jokes aside, we know Denza will be updated soon as the Shark 6 was launched with ‘Sand Land’ and ‘Muddy Land (later named after their off-road drive modes). Unless anything else is going to be funny, these are just small quirks of language and good for a laugh.

You’ll see an under-the-scenes storage tray with USB-A and USB–C ports, a large passenger-side glovebox (sometimes stuck shut) and holder of sunglasses on the ceiling. In the doors there are bottle holders – small ones – and strong grab handles in front of the passenger and at both ends of dashboard.

‘s front seats are equipped with heating, ventilation and a massage function as standard; the back seat is configurable with multiple patterns and intensity levels. Standard also includes powered seat adjustment, but steering wheel adjustment is manual.

The second row is incredibly wide, and you’ll not be pulling yourself in because of the strong grab handles on the B-pillars. It’s not a problem because the cabin of the B5’s is effectively – and, unlike an off-road SUV the floor is flat (which opens up leg and foot room).

There’s no prop shaft connecting the front and rear axles of a , so there’re no need for an old-school driveline hump. And that means all three seating positions are equally accommodating, although the outboard seats of a Leopard have ventilation and heating.

It operates via a touchscreen on the back of the centre console, as is the basic climate control. A discreet panel that opens to reveal two USB ports is below, but the B8’s handy feature for opening the cooled/heated box backwards is not available here.

The bench seat itself is quite comfortable, and there’s a fold-down armrest with cupholders in the middle of the chair. During maximum sun coverage, Plus is the panoramic sunroof above that extends all the way over the rear passengers.

The tailgate, which is side-opening, shows a square boot with ‘a floor that sits at ok height to load and unload’. packaging here, which gives you a solid space for cargo; no awkward fittings like you do in prado.

This move, which does not follow its competitors with a high-hinged tailgate helps access if you park in slam garage. Compared to the on-paper capacity of a Lexus GX (1138–2177L) in terms of quoted capacity, the B5 is much smaller than that of an On-Paper (470–1064 litres), but both manufacturers probably use different measuring methods.

That’s the same thing as it is in that secretly hacked boot of the seven-seat Prado, which quotes 906-1829LL. Realistically, in a case where the boot floor doesn’t extend much to the front of the car, B5 seems more practical than Prado (in particular).

Under the floor is a variety of safety equipment for changing an old tyre with ‘ful-size spare mounted on tailgate’. Denza, meanwhile, hasn’t copied the Toyota model in mounting the spare under the car (presumably to fit into the rear electric motors).

| Dimensions | Denza B5 | Denza B5 Leopard |
| — | — | — |
| Length | 4888mm | 4921mm |
| Width | 1970mm | 1970mm |
| Height | 1920mm | 1930mm |
| Wheelbase | 2800mm | 2800mm |
| Cargo capacity | 470L (rear seats up) 1064L (rear seats folded) | 470L (rear seats up) 1064L (rear seats folded) |

To see how the Denza B5 stacks up against its rivals, use our
comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

Powering the B5 is a plug-in hybrid like that of powertrainer (BYD Shark 6) PHEV power train with 1 P.D shark 6. A 4-cylinder petrol engine was driven at its core by a 5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine, which is known as the “Curror” of 5 litres. They say peak outputs are rated at 400kW of power and 760Nm of torque, significantly more than the Shark–and has selectable low-range gearing as standard.

A slightly larger BYD ‘Blade’ battery, front and rear mechanical diff locks (and advanced DiSus-P hydraulic suspension) are other similarities to the Shark.

Denza said ‘The B5’s Dual-Mode Offroad (DMO) system is designed to work more like an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV), with many components you would not expect in a car that was sold as very capable off-road.

A pair of axles are primarily driven by their respective electric motors, with the engine mostly to charge the battery and sometimes to drive the front wheels. No driveshaft running the length of the vehicle is also available, so there’s no mechanical link between front and rear axles.

Furthermore, there is no traditional transfer case but the B5 does have ‘low-end gearing’. Denza This can be simulated by changing how torque is distributed through each motor to achieve the same result as old-school mechanical low-range, Denzan says.

But, if the driver doesn’t have to choose ‘neutral’ to get low-range (Denza says there is no real neutral gear), that’s why Curiously. If you know 4x4s, it’s all very unorthodox if you have heard of them but Denza says the B5 is off-road at the same level (if not better)?

Electric motors have also been used to power functions like ‘Leopard turn’, which spins the wheels at different speeds on each side of the car and turns in a more narrower radius than normal.

Despite the fact that this has been achieved by an unusual means, it is long and short of its claim that the B5 contains all the gear you’d find in a typical four-wheel drive off-road SUV.

As a side note, we didn’t have time in any one B5 on Denza’s launch to record – although we saw figures hovering around 8-button fuel-economy representative. If I am driving in hybrid mode, 5L/100 km is the recommended route for .

To see how the Denza B5 stacks up against its rivals, use our
comparison tool

How does the Denza B5 drive?

So when we hit the road, our expectations for the B5 were immediately blown out of the water.

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It is a big-named first impression count, and the B5’s sizeable stature gives it an immediate advantage over its competitors. This is tough without being brash, and it’s more apparent when you get into its classy interior and hit the red start/stop button on the centre console.

You get a gruff diesel idle, but it’s fair to expect nothing and not guff Diesel. Unless the battery charge is too low, then B5 enters in an EV mode and would not disturb a butterfly on startup. A gear selector then pulls out of the centre console, allowing you to choose Drive and turn off.

EV mode is really an ev mode, and the B5 is more than happy to drive without its engine running. But you’d be forgiven for thinking this is an EV, because the driving experience doesn’t come at all due to lack of combustion power.

It’s an eloquent sign of a well-engineered PHEV system; the B5 is designed to behave like an “EREV” after all that. A lot of power is under foot when you lay into the throttle, swaying the three-tonne Leopard with frightening ease.

I’ve never seen such a touching demonstration of monstrous power in – for all intents and purposes – an automobile that doesn’t look like it can handle it. The B5 will absolutely mince a Prado without even moving s piston.

A Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk will then be its best impression of a B5 and select HEV mode, Sport mode or Race mode. The front of the car will point to the sky and the rear-end squats hard under acceleration – we measured as high as five degrees pitch with the vehicle’s in-built monitor.

Should I mention that the engine will be ‘burned up in any of the above modes’, but it’s very muffled and doesn’t sound at all stuck from inside the car. But that makes sense, as it’s only giving a small power boost to the front wheels while the electric motors do the heavy lifting.

When in Race mode, even when the B5 is available launch control… what could that be for?

So let’s take it back, we’re a little more than our way of doing what we say. Having a claimed 90km driving range you’ll have to switch on the engine at some point, and not just to impress your friends when it comes down to an EV mode, the B5 happily chugs along with that said car.

When the engine fires to life but doesn’t cause any noticeable change in driving performance, hit the dedicated EV/HEV button and the B5 will switch over to hybrid mode. Rather than start charging the battery, it’s just like that so you can continue without any extra brain power.

That was a real surprise to us,’ said . If the car instinctively controls power like that eliminates a lot of guesswork for people who may be used to diesel, you can set the charge target so it will eventually return to EV mode on its own.

When the charge runs out, don’t you worry about a power loss from the engine? It’s designed so you’ll never run out of petrol before running out, Denza says, and on road trips it is much more convenient to fill up with petrol.

A ladder-frame SUV standard provides more comfort for ride comfort than ride confort. It’s night and day like Prados without adaptive damping, or even to GXs with adaptive damp as standard (it’ is compliant and does a good job of keeping everything in check).

That’s particularly cool when it comes to an off-road SUV with a sticker under $80,000. But even though it is a cushy ride, it doesn’t come at all wallowy or floppy in corners; control of its three-tonne mass is well managed and no time did we think it could escape us from our feelings.

It’s worth noting that this only applies to the Leopard as it’ll be a single B5 with DiSus-P hydraulic suspension. The non-hydraulic base model was not marketed at Denza’s launch, and we know the Leopard has been responsible for much more B5 sales so far.

Moreover, the B5 Leopard has two stiffness levels than that of the three in the previous version (B8’s 3), which clearly affect handling and body control. Sadly, we found Comfort mode the best way to enjoy both of these men.

The steering is meanwhile, well-calibrated, and the fact that there’s nothing really great about it means it’d be very good. This is a non-religious response, an acceptable feedback from the road and nice weighting even in any drive mode.

We leave a final note on the B5’s basics about its brakes. The brake pedal is solid and predictable, unlike many newer hybrids; there are two regenerative braking modes that both feel like traditional engine acclaim. The large brake calipers and the drilled rotors up front make peace of mind in such an enormous car.

In the B5 there is just too much going on to give everything equal airtime as it does with the interior, so that’s what we say in the b5? There are no more than 16 drive modes (ludicrous and probably far more) than any owner would ever need or want.

All are toggleable by dials on the bottom two spokes of the steering wheel, and most for off-road driving. If you think that a car will raise or lower its suspension by up to 90mm, engage low-range gearing, adjust torque distribution and do almost anything else in your opinion is the case of depending on the mode.

Every single item – low-range, diff lock or hill descent control/ ride height controlled etc can also be individually engaged as required. Additionally, each off-road mode displays a mountain of information on the infotainment screen everything from compass and tyre-pressure readings to real-time roll angles and vehicle dimensions.

We drove in the B5 for off-road performance, but we were neither very extensive nor hardcore; so far our understanding of what it can do is a basic thing. Similarly to highway-tyres, it was easy to tackle steep hills covered in loose dust and rocks.

When slip is detected, you can certainly feel the car’s systems are working to traction and any off-road gear (see above) could be very easily engaged.

The strength of the B5 here is sway, and anyone from an old-school 4×4 will be disaffected by how much user-friendly equipment on offer.

The additional advantages are live camera feeds for all exterior cameras, such as the surround-view monitor, which is very useful given that the bonnet is tall.

The safety systems of the car are generally solid, excluding two notable disadvantages. It’s a warning that comes up with the words “ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems) tech is not available,” one of which we noticed when there was wheelspin while off-roading.

This was often the case and it was alwaysaccompanied by a beep – probably symptom of sympathetic traction control system.

The driver attention monitor is just far too sensitive and very annoying, the final and most critical point here. It is a very hard thing to do when the driver is wearing sunglasses, so some refining needs much here.

We’ll endeavour to thoroughly test the B5’s off-road and towing capabilities once we get it into the childcareman.xyz garage.

| Off-road dimensions | Denza B5 | Denza B5 Leopard |
| — | — | — |
| Track front and rear | 1670mm | 1660mm |
| Maximum ground clearance | 220mm | 310mm |
| Approach angle | 35º | 39º |
| Departure angle | 32º | 35º |
| Ramp breakover angle | 20º | 27º |
| Maximum wading depth | 700mm | 790mm |

To see how the Denza B5 stacks up against its rivals, use our
comparison tool

What do you get?

There are two variants in the Denza B5 lineup.

2026 Denza B5 equipment highlights:

18-inch alloy wheels
Continental 265 65/R18 tyres
Full-size spare
Electrically actuated mechanical front and rear differential locks
Automatic LED headlights
Front cornering lights
Front and rear fog lights
Power sunroof with power sunshade
Rain-sensing wipers
Keyless entry and start
Rear privacy glass
Power-folding exterior mirrors
Power tailgate
NFC key
BYD Connected Services incl. remote start, pre-conditioning
Head-up display
12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
15.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
In-car mobile hotspot
4G network connection with 2GB per month data plan for 2 years
Over-the-air updates
Four-zone voice assistant
16-speaker Devialet sound system
1 x wireless phone charger (front)
Leather upholstery
8-way power driver’s seat with memory, 4-way power lumbar
6-way power passenger seat with 4-way power lumbar
Heated and ventilated front seats
Massaging front seats
Heated rear seats
Heated steering wheel
4-way manually adjustable steering wheel
Multi-colour ambient lighting
Dual-zone climate control
60:40 split/fold rear seats
Auto-dimming rear-view mirror

B5 Leopard adds:

DiSus-P suspension
20-inch alloy wheels
Pirelli 275/55 R20 tyres
UWB key
Nappa leather upholstery
Ventilated rear seats
Digital rear-view mirror
1 x wireless phone charger (rear)

Slate Grey is the standard interior colourway, with Jade Green and Sandstone options available.

To see how the Denza B5 stacks up against its rivals, use our
comparison tool

Is the Denza B5 safe?

The Denza B5 boasts a five-star ANCAP safety rating, based on testing conducted in 2025.

Standard safety equipment highlights:

11 airbags, incl:

Front
Side
Curtain
Driver’s far-side

Adaptive cruise control
Autonomous emergency braking
Blind-spot monitoring
Child presence detection
Driver fatigue and distraction monitoring
Emergency lane-keep assist
Forward cross-traffic assist
Front and rear parking sensors
Rear cross-traffic assist
Surround-view camera
Traffic sign recognition
Tyre pressure monitoring

To see how the Denza B5 stacks up against its rivals, use our
comparison tool

How much does the Denza B5 cost to run?

The Denza Australia range will be supported by the same warranty as BYD a six-year, 150,000km vehicle warranty and an eight- year,160,000km battery warranty. The B5 is serviced every 12 months or 20,000km (whichever comes first), other than an initial check-up at six months, or 3500km.

Simply put, the B5’s service intervals are far more long-haul friendly than the Prado’s. It doesn’t need AdBlue, either.

The intervals of the B5 are twice as long as the Prado’s, which needs to be serviced every six months or 10,000km. However, Prado maintenance costs are much less than five years (costing $1975) compared to the Lexus GX ($6950) that it cost for service over the same period.

Servicing for the Land Rover Defender PHEV, meanwhile, is covered by a $3300 five-year plan.

To see how the Denza B5 stacks up against its rivals, use our
comparison tool

childcareman.xyz’s Take on the Denza B5

A huge fan of the B5 and we’re looking forward to seeing it in the world of off-road SUVs, so we think that is a good thing to keep track of.

The BYD has created a luxury SUV with genuine chops on-and off road in what tech-heads and off-road fans alike would like to be satisfied by more equipment and features than you could ever want.

Also, it has clever handling of its high-tech PHEV powertrain, and its preference for electric power doesn’t compromise its driving experience in any way. But it’s going to be interesting to see how its fuel and energy consumption compare in real life.

We can’t ignore the noxious driver monitor, and Leopard’s underdone 490kg payload could be a sore place for some of those oddly-important drivers. It will be a little more than half tonne, and it is infinitely faster than the Prado but four or five adults and their luggage will easily go close to that limit.

Nevertheless, the Denza B5 is an actual statement of intent from BYD. The Lexus GX (who is not a threat) may be off the radar, but its owners are more than happy to splash $140,000-plus on ‘an rugged twin-turbo petrol V6-powered large SUV’; however we hope prospective Prado buyers would look for an opportunity when they’re not married to the Toyota badge.

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Thanks for reading 2026 Denza B5 review

How much does the Denza B5 cost?

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What is the Denza B5 like on the inside?

What’s under the bonnet?

How does the Denza B5 drive?

From expert reviews to the right deal

What do you get?

Is the Denza B5 safe?

How much does the Denza B5 cost to run?

childcareman.xyz’s Take on the Denza B5

Wilton Bashirian

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