2026 Denza B5 Leopard review

China’s onward march of increasing quality, sophistication and offerings continues in Australia, with yet another brand fighting for attention and sales.

This time, it’s Denza. We're going premium.

Denza is a new luxury brand under the BYD umbrella, which is not dissimilar to the relationship between Toyota and Lexus, Hyundai and Genesis, or (less successfully) Nissan and Infiniti.

Denza is coming straight for the heart of Australian buyers as well, offering two big four-wheel-drive wagons. There will be more from this brand, but this is the starting point.

In this review, we’re looking at the Denza B5: a five-seat plug-in hybrid four-wheel drive, which comes with luxury appointments, is dripping with technology, and improved off-road credentials (compared to the BYD Shark 6, at least). 

Top-line specs are impressive: 400kW, 760Nm, almost 1000km of total driving range, 0–100km/h in 4.8 seconds (claimed), front and rear diff locks and loads of luxury features.

Even the most anti-Chinese amongst us would have to be a little intrigued.

There’s also a larger Denza B8 to consider, which has six or seven seats across three rows, along with more size, more weight and more power.

Denza is wholly owned and operated by BYD, in a similar fashion to the Toyota/Lexus or Hyundai/Genesis relationship. 

The Denza B5 is branded and marketed as a Fangchengbao in China, and shares production facilities with other BYD vehicles.

On one hand, the Denza B5 faces squarely up against the GWM Tank 500 plug-in hybrid. They’re both big five-seat SUVs with plug-in hybrid powertrains and off-road capability, and compete at the same price.

But in order to reach true success, the Denza B5 needs to take on local favourites: Toyota’s LandCruiser Prado and Ford’s Everest. 

Some will gel with the idea of a plug-in hybrid powertrain, love the benefits of a circa 90km EV-only range, big straight-line performance and respectable fuel efficiency.

Others won’t like the compromises of weight, payload and utility, and will prefer the familiarity of diesel power.

For these cohorts, the decision is likely already made.

But it’s those buyers on the fringes, the more undecided bunch, and with an appetite for the different, where Denza intends to make inroads.

Something undeniable about this car – and unsurprising, considering what kind of value BYD packs into the rest of its range – is the bang you get for your buck.

The Denza B5 starts from $74,990 plus on-road costs, which makes it a couple of thousand dollars cheaper than a base-level Toyota LandCruiser Prado GX, and $1000 less than the Ford Everest in V6 Sport trim level.

Obviously, the plug-in hybrid petrol powertrain in the B5 is the big differentiator to the regulars, but there is also a big difference in the level of equipment.

Standard equipment here includes leather seats with electric adjustment up front, as well as heating, ventilation and massaging for the front pews. The driver gets memory and second-row seats are heated, and we get a nice knitted fabric headlining.

All fairly predictable so far, but things go further. There is a 15.6-inch central infotainment display and 16-speaker Devialet-branded sound system with 800 watts.

The centre console can freeze to -6 degrees Celsius (for cold drinks) or heat up to 50 degrees Celsius (for warm pies), there is a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, 18-inch wheels and a massive sunroof with an electric sunshade.

The 31.8kWh battery affords a claimed 90km of electric driving range, which, when joined with the 83-litre fuel tank, provides 975km of range total.

Denza also keeps the towbar and 12-pin trailer wiring harness as standard equipment, as well as front and rear mechanical diff locks. 

There are also automatic LED headlights with ‘matrix assistance’, LED tail-lights and BYD’s own connected services for remote-control functionality.

Stepping up to B5 Leopard spec for $79,990 gives you 20-inch wheels, ventilated rear seats, a second 50W wireless phone charger inside and nappa leather seat trimming. There is also a digital rear-view mirror, but the big change is in suspension.

Luxury vehicles often have a complex active suspension system, and this Denza B5 is no different. With independent coil-sprung suspension all around, the top-spec Leopard gets a bit of techno-magic in the form of BYD’s own active hydraulic technology.

Known as ‘DiSus-P’, this is one example of BYD’s more complex engineering. It uses a network of hydraulic pipes and adjustable pressure that interconnects between the shock absorbers on each corner.

It's not dissimilar to Toyota’s KDSS (Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System) or Nissan’s HBMC (Hydraulic Body Motion Control), where the flow of oil can control and counteract body roll, pitching and diving. 

On top of that, this suspension can also adjust its height.

However, it doesn’t give any magic in terms of active damping or controlling the damping force via driving modes. 

Adding plug-in hybrid power to the Denza B5 increases weight, and the Denza B5 brings a significant weight penalty over its competition. A kerb weight of 2897kg (B5) or 3007kg (B5 Leopard) runs with a 3497kg gross vehicle mass.

This leaves only 490kg of payload available for the B5 Leopard, while the B5 fares slightly better at 600kg. Both figures are on the low side of things, but the B5 Leopard is particularly bad.

Five occupants at 100kg each will have the car overloaded, before you look at things like accessories or cargo. Wind that back to four occupants at 75kg, for example, and you've got only 190kg left over for anything else.

And while we have a 3000kg braked towing capacity in the Denza B5 – which is 500kg better than the Shark 6 – we have to keep all of these weights underneath the gross combination mass (GCM).

The GCM of the Denza B5 is 6122kg, while the B5 Leopard grows this number to 6232kg. This means if you’re fully loaded, there is not enough to really take on a big heavy trailer and stay legal.

But more importantly, any ball weight from the trailer onto the car cannot outstrip the gross vehicle mass or rear axle load capacity (2020kg), which is quite possible in the real world.

In other words, the 3000kg braked towing capacity is unrealistic, and users should really weigh everything accurately on a weighbridge to check if they are within limits.

While many competitors to the Denza B5 offer seven-seat capacity thanks to a third row, the Denza B5 is a five-seater.

But those five seats do come with loads of comfort, space and features.

We spent our time in the top-spec B5 Leopard, which gets a few extra features as well as the nappa leather.

Up front, the B5 feels quality in many respects. Build quality feels excellent, and there’s loads of nice materials throughout the cabin. 

The central screen is huge, and twin wireless charging pads in the centre console also work as a handy storage space. There’s also a small storage shelf in front of the passenger, and some underslung space in the centre (where you can also find some power outlets).

This is good, because the combination esky/hotbox in the centre doesn’t offer a much as a regular storage space.

The layout of buttons and controls for the B5 is similar to the BYD Shark 6, which includes a volume dial. The gear shifter electrically pops up and down as you power on and off the vehicle, and the leather-wrapped steering wheel feels nice in the hands.

The second row gives loads of leg room and head room, along with air vents in the centre console and roof. Its seats are comfortable and offer plenty of tilt in the backrest, and the lack of a transmission tunnel helps for cramped family usage. 

Boot space – measuring in at 470L with all seats in place – is good and square. It’s not as big as some others offer in this segment, with the car prioritising second-row space and a lower rear overhang instead of bulk rear storage. 

Drop down the second row and you have 1064L of space available.

With so much weight and height to deal with, the fancy DiSuS-P suspension setup has its work cut out to keep the B5 reined in. Mostly, it does a good job. The vehicle corners better than physics should allow, holding fairly flat in the body until the tyres start understeering with a howling protest. 

It’s a well-mannered car, and feels at its best at a smooth cruise.

The steering balance is good, being responsive enough and well weighted, without any vagueness or flat spots to encounter. 

But for a luxury car, the ride quality could be better. High tyre pressures and a mammoth amount of weight mean this car has a lot of spring and damper in it. It can feel firm and brittle at times, jostling and refusing to settle on inconsistent surfaces. Some wallowing and lumpy roads can introduce a bit of head toss as well, as the car maintains a firm relationship between body and chassis.

Off-road, raising the suspension height seems to only worsen the problem. This is a car that can never really hide its weight, with a firmness in the suspension heightening things.

The 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol hybrid powertrain – which only brings minor differences to what you get in the Shark 6 – is mostly well sorted and refined. It’s electric first and foremost, with ample responsiveness and acceleration available. 

Denza claims a 4.8-second 0–100km/h acceleration time, which seems to only be achievable through the launch mode function. And seeing as this turns off things like traction and stability control, it isn’t something you’d be doing regularly on public roads.

But still, this is a car that never feels underpowered. There’s loads of grunt available for traffic and overtaking, and that power comes on in a smooth and controlled fashion, rather than snapping your neck with an instant response.

The worst thing about the B5 is some of the active safety technology, which was persistently annoying on our first test drive. It's the usual range of annoyances here: inaccurate road sign recognition bleating regularly, and driver monitoring admonishing any twinge of neck movement.

But there was another beeping sensation – at least quieter and not as obtrusive – which would continue for minutes if left to its own devices. And we aren't sure exactly what it was.

While the Denza B5 shares a lot of underbody components with the BYD Shark 6, we have a vehicle here that brings improvements to the recipe.

Firstly, we have locking differentials front and rear in the B5 Leopard to help with traction off-road. Its traction-control systems are different as well, with more modes and adjustability to dig into.

Most notably, though, is the addition of a low-range gearbox on the rear axle.

Don’t forget, there is no mechanical connection between the front and rear wheels in this Denza B5. There is a massive battery in the way.

Electric motors require some form of reduction gear. Normally, it’s a single-speed reduction to allow the high-spinning electric motor suit torque and wheel speed for road driving.

Sometimes, exotic metal (like a Porsche Taycan) has a two-speed transmission on one or more axles to help with performance or efficiency. 

In the case of this Denza B5 (and the B8), we have a two-speed transmission that is similar to low-range. On-road driving gives a 4:1 reduction, while going into low-range pushes that to about 21:1.

This is only for the rear axle, providing a crucial increase of torque to the wheels for low-speed control and capability. Particularly, this is important for steep hill climbs.

Electric motors provide instant torque, yes. But they cannot match the volume of torque that an internal combustion engine can provide once it multiplies through a gearbox, transfer case and differential. 

This B5 manages to mimic this a bit, and it provides a clear improvement to the car as an off-road vehicle. You’ve got more control, and better climbing ability in particular with low engaged.

Locking differentials are always good to have, and the traction control is another layer of control that owners can use. It’s a bit confusing, though, because there is a range of off-road modes available through the steering wheel dial, and another list available through an infotainment screen sub menu.

However, you never really forget the weight that you have on board this vehicle. Airing down tyres helps, of course, and the traction control feels pretty adept when the diff locks aren’t engaged.

But you’ve got definite firmness in the suspension to contend with, and the weight of the car means it never feels naturally capable. It fights against the terrain a little more than other vehicles. It doesn’t stop or get hung up, but competitor vehicles feel more at home off-road than this. 

Claimed fuel economy is 3.9 litres per 100 kilometres according to Denza’s claims, but that number is always a bit of a trick with plug-in hybrids. Your real-world fuel economy could actually be as low as zero in full EV mode, while a depleted battery sees around 9–10 litres per 100km consumed.

And to help keep running costs down, the Denza B5 is happy to sip (or slurp) on the cheaper 91RON fuel. No premium required here.

On the electric side, you’ve got a claimed 90km of EV driving range available using the WLTP testing cycle. It could be more, but the car prefers to keep a reserve of power on board (around 25 per cent) in the battery, rather than letting it run completely flat.

The 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol, which has paltry outputs of 135kW and 260Nm, can only spin the front wheels directly at speeds above 70km/h. There’s a good reason for this as well, as the direct drive works out to be more efficient than using your battery capacity at these speeds.

Mostly, this engine runs to power up the battery, varying its revs accordingly to increase the charge via a specific generator.

A 15.6-inch infotainment display is huge, and comes with an operating system familiar to other BYD vehicles. It’s Android based, and has a staggering number of menus, buttons, drop-downs and sub menus to dig through.

The quality of the screen is good, and there is no shortage of features: wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, native navigation, and remote app functionality.

Some might find the range of options overwhelming, though, but others will get their bearings after enough time with the car. 

I’m sure plenty will love the depth of detail here, and the amount of sheer options and functions you have through this screen.

There are some physical controls for common elements (like the volume control, for example), which helps with everyday usability. A three-finger swipe (ether up-down or side-to-side) is a useful shortcut for climate controls.

It's always a leap of faith for an Australian car buyer to put their hard-earned money behind a new brand. But in the case of Denza, an association with BYD (which surely isn't going anywhere in a hurry) makes this less of a unknown, even if the brand is very new.

When you compare this car to a GWM Tank 500 PHEV, the Denza shapes up as the better offering overall, at least on paper. The Tank 500 has a more traditional 4x4 layout for those who are really keen on low-range capability, but the Denza B5 seems better in every other respect.

But it's against the likes of a LandCruiser Prado or Ford Everest where it gets more murky. The ride quality can feel lacking at times with the Denza, and the lack of a usable payload will prohibit some more serious users.

However, the flexibility of the powertrain, sound off-road ability, excellent interior, and overall sense of quality that you have here, say the Denza B5 will find plenty of happy customers in Australia.

Sam Purcell has been writing about cars, four-wheel driving and camping since 2013, and obsessed with anything that goes brum-brum longer than he can remember. Sam joined the team at CarAdvice/Drive as the off-road Editor in 2018, after cutting his teeth at Unsealed 4X4 and Pat Callinan’s 4X4 Adventures. Off-road writer of the Year, Winner - Sam Purcell

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