Denza B5 Leopard 2026 Review

For now, a pair of Denza B5s are on offer with the entry version starting from $74,990 plus on-road costs. It gets a plug-in hybrid powertrain with 4x4, locking diffs and low range, along with a leather upholstered interior, 15.6-inch central touchscreen, room for five on board and a generous amount of standard equipment.

Combined power from the 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine and dual e-motors is rated at 400kW while torque peaks at 760Nm. Up to 100km is possible on electric power, while the combination of the 83-litre fuel tank and 32kWh battery allow a total range just shy of 1000km.

Above that is the B5 Leopard. For an extra $5000, the standard 18-inch wheels are upgraded to 20s, and it gets the option to use your phone as the entry key, nicer Nappa leather, and two wireless phone chargers in place of one.

Both variants have a high level of standard safety equipment including 11 airbags, a full suite of driver assistance systems, a 3D 360-degree camera, and the full five-star safety rating from ANCAP.

Also included for 24 months is 2GB of data per month, allowing access to Denza’s suite of online services as well as third party applications.

Until now, our experiences of the 2026 Denza B5 have been little more than a tantalising tease of its true potential, from a very brief steer in China to a slightly longer but still restricted test at the Lang Lang proving ground in Victoria.

But now we’ve been given an extended opportunity in the Flinders Ranges to try it out on public roads and, most interestingly on some remote and challenging off-road trails.

On road, the B5 has a competent manner with only a tiny amount of the classic shudder that often denotes the presence of a ladder chassis.

Its hybrid powertrain is smooth and lends a serious shove when required, while the combination of a relatively small petrol engine and two electric motors works even better than in the popular BYD Shark 6 ute it’s related to.

In Eco mode, the 1.5-litre engine tends to thrash and preserve battery power by generating more of it while in use, while Comfort mode is the most relaxing as the name suggests, allowing the engine to settle down to a 1500-2000rpm hum. 

It’s possible to alter the behaviour by changing the battery reserve set-point (up to 70 per cent) which will work to always retain the predetermined level.

It’s a great feature that ensures you’ll have lots of power in the battery if you arrive at your favourite camping spot and want to power the site, or simply reserve power for an exclusive stretch of electric-only driving.

The B5 weighs an absolute tonne (actually three), but its economy is impressive given the heft and our on-road trip returned a figure of 9.5 litres per 100km; not the most frugal of all the mid-sized SUVs, but deserving of praise as that’s bang on the manufacturer’s claim.

But it’s when the road comes to an end that the B5 really shines. We threw the Chinese hopeful at a variety of Flinders Ranges trails and it did not disappoint.

It’s Pirelli P Zero Scorpion rubber resisted punctures from the area’s infamous rocks and offered excellent dry grip, the adaptive hydraulic dampers (with steel coil springs) produced a genuinely surprising ride – even in the back seat – and its powertrain was the highlight of it all.

Unlike diesel applications without hybridisation which need to rev, shout and spin wheels to make sense of crumbly rocks and steep ruts, the Denza’s system is incredibly stoic.

Instead of making a fuss, its silent electric motors quietly turn over and don’t need to rev hard or slip a wheel to establish what’s going on.

With each wheel gently sharing grip and the little engine quietly purring at about 2000rpm, progress was impressive and just when it felt like the B5 had run out of ideas it would hesitate before simply plodding on like it just needed a minute to think.

We tried the various locking diffs and low range gearing in the name of research, but it felt like all but the gnarliest of climbs would have been despatched with just the rear diff locked.

The impressive suite of technology such as a 3D 360-degree camera provide a genuinely useful assistant when negotiating unfamiliar terrain and the option to manipulate the image by pressing dragging the image on the touchscreen is great.

Ultimate wheel articulation and suspension travel seem to be the limiting factor – although still very respectable – and we can’t wait for a more laboratory style test to find the true limit.

It’s not hard to see why Toyota’s latest LandCruiser Prado is continuing on as such a favourite with Australians, but it’s up to 10-month waiting list is souring the milk for a lot of expectant owners.

If you’re one of them, perhaps you could kill some of the wait time test driving a B5 and see if the lead time and extra cash is worth it measure-for-measure…

With a pair of electric motors, locking diffs, a four-cylinder engine, decent sized battery and all that standard technology, the 2026 Denza B5 is carrying a lot around and it shows on the scales.

With a kerb weight of 3007kg, this SUV is a hefty proposition and the mass manifests itself in both positive and negative ways.

Part of its commendable road manner has to be attributed to the dizzying weight and the B5 deals with imperfections and vibrations by smashing through them rather than trying to dance over them. Bludgeoning obstacles into submission isn’t necessarily the wrong approach but it’s certainly obvious in the manners.

Body roll is also subsequently pronounced and feels as though the ant-roll bars aren’t stiff enough, particularly in the front, resulting in a general resistance to changing direction at speed.

We love the outright off-road ability and inclusion of proper all-terrain features that work very well in practice, but 15 driving modes for off-road situations alone seems like overkill and the exact application of each is not clear.

Meanwhile, some less experienced users may prefer a simpler approach to going off-road rather than the complex combinations of locking differentials, EV or HEV mode, low range, plus all the driving modes on top. One button for go-anywhere mode would definitely appeal to a different audience.

We appreciated the low range transfer case, but it feels as though its ratio is only slightly lower than high range, and while we also loved the off-road camera it had an annoying habit of switching itself off right when it was needed most.

Finally, while Denza has demonstrated in the B5 that a challenger brand can deliver excellent quality and value for money, it has zero equity in the Australian market.

Even if it can borrow some credibility from BYD, it still has a challenge to win over Australian drivers for their trust and cash.

The elephant in the room remains Denza’s pricing. On the one hand a $75,000 starting price seems like a steep price for an unknown entity and from a Chinese brand.

Either that or a bit of a bargain for a capable SUV that packs in a lot regardless of its country or origin – as long as you’re prepared to put your trust in Denza.

Any scepticism surrounding a challenger brand in Australia is wholly understandable, but Denza stands to benefit from the early bird brands, including its own BYD, that have paved a way for it.

Thanks to models such as the Shark 6 and other popular Chinese vehicles, newcomers are no longer exclusively associated with risk and more frequently known for value.

What the Denza B5 demonstrates is that ‘value for money’ isn’t always synonymous with ‘cheap’, and a pricier vehicle can still represent a bargain – especially if the intended use is away from the beaten trail.

The long game is yet to play out in terms of reliability, customer service and, ultimately, the longevity of Denza in Australia, but this compelling large SUV is looking like a bit of a bargain offering a genuine all-terrain freedom machine at a price that legacy brands can’t afford to ignore.

2026 Denza B5 at a glance:
Price: $74,990 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol-electric
Output: 135kW/260Nm (electric motor: F 200kW/360Nm R 285kW/400Nm)
Combined output: 400kW/760Nm
Transmission: Permanent magnet synchronous motor single speed
Battery: 32kWh lithium-ion
Range: 100km NEDC
Energy consumption: 233Wh/100km NEDC
Fuel: 9.5L/100km NEDC
CO2: 42g/km WLTP
Safety rating: 5-star ANCAP 2025

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