Denza B5 2025 Review

Local pricing for the Denza B5 is yet to be announced, but applying the average 40 per cent premium dished out to other BYD products when sold in Australia, we can expect B5 pricing to kick off at around $A72,000 before rising to something in the region of $100,000 for the top-spec editions.

Of course, local variations in specification are likely to have an impact too, with Australian cars expected to get a tow hitch as standard, as well as both front and rear electronic diff locks. What we might miss out on for regulatory reasons are the 12.3-inch passenger screen and the fridge/warming unit in the centre armrest, but we’ll have to wait and see.

Either way, it should offer a hefty discount on the base Defender 90, which starts from just over $92,000 plus on-road costs (ORCs).

The Denza B5 in China comes with a double- or triple-screen setup in the front, plus a large head-up display, 16 or 18 premium speakers, and even a small fridge/heating unit under the centre armrest for keeping drinks and snacks warm or cold, with a nifty digital dial.

We’re unlikely to get the fridge or the third screen in Australia, but we should get the three-scent fragrance pack, as well as heated, ventilated, and massaging front seats, and heated rears, while ventilated rear seats are an option.

We suspect we’ll get both front and rear e-diff locks as standard too, simply because of our usage habits, but they might make the front lock optional like in China, and the adjustable hydraulic suspension will likely only be offered on top-line editions. Standard alloys are 18 inches, but 20-inch variants are available

Expect the warranty for the B5 to match that of other BYD cars, with a six-year/150,000km warranty for the vehicle and an eight-year/160,000km warranty for the battery.

The Denza B5 hasn’t yet been tested by any of the major safety authorities but given it shares much of its underpinnings with the Shark 6 we’re expecting a similar five-star ANCAP result here.

It certainly packs a plethora of active and passive safety tech with as many as 11 airbags on board and a comprehensive safety suite that includes the likes of front and rear collision warnings, cross-traffic assist, autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot assist, intelligent high beams with matrix LED headlights, and more.

Adaptive cruise control, speed alert, lane-keeping assist, and lever-activated lane changes are included too.

While the Denza B5 can’t quite match the tank turn and flotation capabilities of its stablemate, the ultra-premium Yangwang U8, it does still boast a bunch of tech trickery that’ll turn a Defender green with envy.

Chief amongst them is its ability to perform what Denza calls the Leopard turn, whereby you can partially lock the inside rear wheel in order to perform a semi-pivot turn on loose surfaces like grass, gravel, and snow, enabling the B5 to scuttle out of tight situations with a 3.4-metre turning radius. It’s not quite as dramatic as a G-Wagen rotating on the spot, but it still looks impressive.

In addition, its ladder-frame chassis, 140mm adjustable hydraulic suspension (or double fork arm independent suspension on cheaper variants), and lockable front and rear electronic diffs, make it genuinely capable off-road, while a low-speed 4x4 function allows it to mimic a low-ratio gearbox for navigating particularly challenging surfaces.

Throw in wading sensing abilities that’ll tell you just how deep the water is that you’re in, and you get a car that’ll do at least 99 per cent of what a Land Rover can with a bit on top for good measure.

That hydraulic suspension, called Disus-P, is also useful on the road, providing a beautifully cushy ride quality on most surfaces and greater aerodynamics when driving at high speed. On the flip side, it bestows the B5 with comical levels of roll when making swift direction changes, which is something Denza might look at fettling before local sales commence.

Like the Shark 6, the Denza B5 sits on BYD’s DMO (Dual-Mode Off-road) platform, meaning there’s a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine under the bonnet, the primary role of which is to charge the battery, with twin electric motors providing the drive.

Unlike in standard extended-range EVs though, the engine on the B5 can also assist on the front axle when necessary, so while the 285kW rear motor and 200kW front motor will do the majority of the work, peak power is as much as 505kW with up to 760Nm of torque to boot.

As such, it shifts like a scalded cat, hitting 100km/h from a standstill in just 4.8 seconds, making it faster than a base-spec Macan EV.

The Denza B5 is something of a game changer for the generally fuel-thirsty large SUV segment, a 31.8kWh battery making it genuinely possible to daily drive the near 2.9-tonne SUV on pure electric power.

Under CLTC conditions, the B5 gets up to 125km of EV-only range, or closer to 90km in practice, more than enough for 95 per cent of daily journeys. On the occasion that you need to go a bit further, it’ll sip fuel at 7.8L/100km on paper, giving a total range north of 900km in real-world conditions.

You can of course charge at home though AC charging speeds aren’t detailed, or you can add volts at up to 100kW peak charge on a DC fast charger, topping the battery up from 10 to 80 per cent in around 20 minutes.

On the whole, squidgy. Chinese cars aren’t generally endowed with the most engaging handling and our test of a Chinese-spec Denza B5 yielded copious body roll, with lateral movements feeling almost exaggerated with quick directional changes.

That said, it’s far more stable than it visually appears, and it’ll remain on all fours, albeit pointed towards the sky with the back corner seemingly on the bump stops, despite being on full lock with the accelerator planted to the floor.

In daily driving, you’re unlikely to ever find yourself in such an extreme position, and while it’s not exactly dynamically astute, the B5’s hydraulic suspension does at least iron out pretty much anything you can throw at it, ideal for our chopped-up roads and tracks.

Sport mode does at least tighten things up a bit, including the customarily vague steering, and we suspect Denza will do a bit more tuning on that before customers here can get their hands on one, but let’s not forget we’re dealing with a 1.9-metre tall, body-on-frame SUV. It’s not intended to be a sports car, and for 99 per cent of applications it’s more than adequate.

We haven’t had a chance to pitch the Denza B5 against a Prado or a Defender on a dedicated off-road course, so we suspect there’s more ability to come from the B5, but as far as factory-spec off-roaders go, it proved more than capable on a variety of surfaces and gradients.

The hydraulic suspension, which unlocks as much as 310mm of ground clearance, enables the B5 to traverse deeply rutted tracks and sharp breakover angles with ease, while the electronic diff locks and built-in modes for a variety of non-tarmac surfaces make it difficult to find a situation the B5 can’t handle, though we’ll look forward to giving it a thorough workout on our shores.

Denza doesn’t offer official load figures for the B5 but with a side-hinged trunk door, upon which the full-size spare sits, and a large square opening, we’d estimate there’s at least 400 litres behind the rear seats, and at least 1800L with the seats down.

There’s also a roof rack capable of carrying up to 50kg, while the B5 is rated to tow up to 2.5 tonnes. Kerb weight is a hefty 2890kg.

BYD interiors have been on point of late and the Denza B5 is no exception, neatly blending a rugged aesthetic with a very premium feel.

Very similar in layout to the Shark 6, the B5 ramps up the use of luxury materials, with faux leather draped all over the dash, doors, and centre console, and the seats and steering wheel available in cortex, Nappa leather, or Nappa and suede trimmings.

The robust-looking dash, inspired by the links of a chain, is symmetrical from left to right, with twin 12.3-inch screens flanking a 15.6-inch 2.5k screen in the centre, all backed up by a 16- or 18-speaker premium sound system from French brand Devialet.

On the centre console, there’s a pair of 50W vented wireless chargers, twin cupholders, and the same electronically raising drive selector and ice-cube style toggles you’ll find on the Shark 6, as well as buttons for your off-road functions.

Ambient lighting on the doors and dash adds a bit of colour, and rather neatly changes colour with the climate control settings on the grab handles either side of the dash. There are also twin sunroofs front and back with electronic sunblinds built in.

Both front and rear passengers get access to USB-A and USB-C sockets, and there’s a 220V socket too for anything with a household plug.

Up top, the seats are supportive and comfortable, with 12-way adjustability for the driver and six-way or 10-way adjustability for the passenger, while space in the rear is plentiful with good visibility courtesy of a higher positioning.

It seems these days there are no segments the Chinese brands aren’t confident of disrupting, and while the Denza B5 can’t yet dream of the same brand recognition and legacy of a Land Rover or a Mercedes, the reality is that to sit in one you wouldn’t know the difference – in fact you’d probably think it came from an established brand.

Such is the ability of BYD now, it can rock up to a previously exclusive party and mingle without a shred of imposter syndrome. The B5 brings premium build quality, superior levels of equipment and tech, and off-road skills to rival the best of them, at a price point with which they can’t compete.

It may not be as iconic, or even as beautiful, as its premium rivals, but in every other metric it’s every bit as accomplished, and sometimes more.

2025 Denza B5 at a glance:
Price: Expected $72,000 to $100,000
Available: Expected second half 2025
Powertrain: 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol-electric
Output: 145kW (electric motor: 485kW/760Nm)
Combined output: 505kW/760Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Battery: 31.8kWh LFP Blade battery
Range: 1200km, 125km EV-only (CLTC)
Energy consumption: 23.5kWh/100km
Fuel: 7.8L/100km (CLTC)
CO2: N/A
Safety rating: Not tested

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