Like Lexus is Toyota, Denza is to the Chinese brand BYD, with an upmarket line of luxury
vehicles and a price tag to match.
The brand was established in 2010 as a joint venture with Mercedes-Benz, but Benz has
since pulled the plug.
The B8 Super Hybrid is a large six or seven-seat 4×4 wagon that is billed a bit optimistically
as a competitor for the Land Cruiser 300 Series.
There’s also a B5, a smaller five-seater that has the Prado in its sights, along with a z9GT
sedan and D9 people mover on offer.
Both 4x4s are closely related to the BYD Shark utility which is also a plug-in hybrid.
STYLING
Prices for the B8 start from $91,000 for the seven-seater or $97,990 for the six-seat version.
Sounds like a lot of dosh for a “Chinese” vehicle, but the figures start to look better when
compared to the Land Cruiser which ranges in price from $99,000-$156,000, bearing in mind
that this is a proper 4×4 proposition with everything that implies.
Our test vehicle was the more expensive 6S or six-seater, with two separate, fully adjustable
second row seats that permit walk-though access to the third row.
B8 is a blend of rugged, muscular design, high levels of quality and the attention to detail
expected in a luxury 4WD.
And, get this, they say the look is inspired by futuristic starship aesthetics.
At the front, the B8’s daytime running lights form the outline of the wings of an interplanetary
starship.
The tail lights provide an afterburner effect, creating the illusion of jet engine exhaust.
The planetary ring spare wheel cover features two distinct lines top and bottom to symbolise
Saturn’s rings. Don’t you just love this stuff?
B8 has been designed from the ground up as a premium offering, with particular attention
paid to the elimination of noise, vibration and harshness (NVH).
To achieve this, it is fitted with soft-close doors, sound-deadening glass, cabin-isolating
rubber bushes and active engine mounts.
Standard kit includes genuine leather trim, three-zone climate air, heated, cooled and
massage front and second row seats, power fold third row seats and a heated steering
wheel.
There’s also LED lights front and back, NFC key support and a car fridge/hotbox that offers a
temperature range of -6 to 50 degrees.
It rides on black 20-inch alloys, with pricey 275/55 series Michelin rubber.
Access to the B8 is via pop-out door handles, with buttons inside that release the doors and
a powertrain that turns on automatically in greeting.
Our six-seater adds a front diff lock, Nappa leather, front seat power adjustable leg rest, front
seat bolster adjustment, digital rear view mirror, night vision system, smart driving surround
view camera, head-up display and second row foot ambient lighting.
B8 is covered by a 6-year/150,000km warranty plus an 8-year/160,000km high-voltage
battery warranty, with five years of roadside assistance and capped priced servicing. Service
is due every 12 months or 20,000km.
INFOTAINMENT
The huge 17.3-inch rotating touchscreen is the largest we’ve seen, larger even than the
laptop this story was written on, with another sequestered 12.3-inch digital instrument panel
for the driver.
The system supports 4-zone voice assist, Bluetooth connectivity and audio streaming, FM
and DAB+ digital radio (but no AM), built-in satellite navigation, wireless CarPlay and
Android Auto, over-the-air updates as well as an 800 watt, 18-speaker Devialet audio
system.
There’s also a mix of six USB ports (A+C), a 12-volt power socket and dual wireless phone
charging.
SAFETY
B8 scores a maximum five-star rating for safety.
Safety begins with a rigid ladder-type CTC (Cell-to-Chassis) body with 78 per cent high-
strength steel, encircling and protecting the integrated Blade battery.
A total of 13 airbags protect driver and passengers, while a comprehensive suite of
Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), such as a 360-degree camera system, front
and rear collision warning, front cross-traffic alert, automatic emergency braking and
intelligent cruise control.
ENGINES / TRANSMISSIONS
Power comes from a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, together with two electric motors
and a 37-kWh battery, that produces a prodigious 425kW of power and 760Nm of torque.
Transmission is complicated, with a single-speed reduction gear for the front, and another
two-speed transmission for the rear — to deliver high and low range.
Each electric motor drives its respective axle, while the petrol engine is employed primarily
to keep the battery charged (but does chime in with some extra oomph if required) — in other
words it’s basically a series hybrid.
DRIVING
Designed in-house by BYD, the B8 is almost 5.2 metres long with a 2920mm wheelbase and
sits on a separate ladder chassis as favoured by the off-road community.
With low and high range, front and rear diff locks, and approach, departure and ramp-over
angles of 34, 35 and 26 degrees, along with an impressive 310mm of ground clearance and
wading depth of 890mm — this is a vehicle built to tackle the rough stuff.
Like the Shark, there’s no physical connection between the front and rear wheels, just the
tricky electronics.
There are also 16 different drive modes available: the usual Comfort, Eco and Sport; plus,
Terrain Modes of Snow, Sand, Mud, Mountain, Rock, Intelligent and others.
Leopard turn is also available, which allows the vehicle to perform sharper, tank-like turns by
spinning the wheels at different speeds off road.
Despite the fact B8 weighs in at a whopping 3290kg, the dash from 0-100km/h takes a
quick-fire 4.8 seconds.
That makes it 443kg heavier than Patrol and 660kg more than a Land Cruiser.
With a 91-litre fuel tank, it takes standard 91 unleaded with fuel consumption a claimed
3.9L/100km (WLTP), provided the battery retains a minimum 25 per cent charge. Above that
and one can expect to use 11.4L/100km.
We were getting 9.0L/100km after more than 1200km. There was no opportunity to charge
the battery, but it never dipped below 25 per cent.
Claimed energy consumption is 24.4 kWh/100km. It can be recharged at a rate of up to
11kW with AC and up to 120kW with faster DC.
Combined range is 905km, with an electric only range of 100km (WLTP).
The suspension is electronically modulated and adapts automatically to road conditions.
It has a range of 140mm and means ground clearance can be boosted from 220 to 310mm
at the push of a button, along with dropping the height for easier access.
There’s plenty of room front and back, but getting in and out can be difficult, particularly on a
slope because the heavy doors swing shut, threatening to inflict bodily harm.
Grab handles are provided for each of the four doors, but the low-set front handles which are
located at the end of the dash provide little leverage.
The heavy tailgate with the added weight of the spare wheel is hinged on the wrong side for
our right-hand drive roads.
There’s just 147 litres of load space with the third row in use, with a charge cable and tool kit
to contend with as shown in the photos.
B8 is a large, comfortable car in which to wile away the hours, with a first-rate sound system.
But there’s room for improvement.
Don’t bother with the digital mirror, because reflections and the constant need to refocus
make it virtually unusable.
The choice of light grey on silver for the control labels is almost illegible in almost any light.
We had to get out a torch to work out how to operate the stack of toggles for controlling the
seats from the luggage area.
Massage is a welcome option on a long country drive but the seat heating turns into a
sausage sizzle after a couple of minutes, even on its lowest setting. Ditto the aircon which
either blows too hot or too cold, but not much in between.
B8 gets up and boogies, that’s for sure, with plenty underfoot for overtaking. But there’s
some hesitancy on take-off and the ride quality quickly deteriorates on country roads — fancy
suspension or not.
The brakes are grabby and the adaptive cruise control, which adjusts in 5km/h increments,
provided a couple of phantom scares.
Alas we didn’t get a chance to take the Denza off-road, but it reportedly made it up Beer
O’Clock Hill which lends some cred.
However, the B8’s two main challenges off road are the terrain and its own weight.
Not only does it have to find sufficient traction to claw its way up a rocky slope, it has to
overcome its own inertia at the same time.
Just quietly we’d hate to get this sucker bogged, because it would require a tow truck or
similar to pull it out (perhaps two Land Cruisers).
Replacement of the road tyres with chunkier rubber is a must.
Tow capacity is a full 3500kg, but you need to pay close attention to the gross weight and
tow ball limitations.
A drawbar, hitch receiver and 12-point electric plug are fitted as standard.
SUMMING UP
We doubt whether the Denza B8 has got what it takes to lure died-in-the-wool Land Cruisers
owners out of their comfort zone.
But if the success of BYD as a whole is any measure, it’s certainly going to generate plenty
of interest for those who don’t want to go the whole nine yards.
It could even put a dent in Defender sales (they’ve gotta come from somewhere after all).
The quality is there, it just needs a bit of fine tuning.
RATINGS:
Looks: 7
Performance: 7.5
Safety: 8
Thirst: 7.5
Practicality: 6
Comfort: 7.5
Tech: 8
Value: 8
Overall: 7.4
AT A GLANCE
MODEL LINE-UP
Denza B8 AWD PHEV 7-seat: $91,000
Denza B8 AWD PHEV 6-seat” $97,990
Note: These prices do not include government or dealer delivery charges. Contact your local
BYD / Denza dealer for drive-away prices.
SPECIFICATIONS (Denza B8, 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbocharged petrol plug-in hybrid
AWD, SUV)
PETROL ENGINE
Capacity: 2.0 litre
Configuration: Four cylinders, turbocharged
Petrol power 145 kW
Petrol torque: 350 Nm
Fuel type: Premium unleaded petrol 91 RON
Combined fuel cycle: (ADR 81/02) 3.9 L/100km
CO2 emissions 51 g/km
Electric range: 100 km
Combined range: 905 km
Fuel capacity: 91L
ELECTRIC MOTORS
Dual permanent magnet synchronised motors
Front power: 200 kW
Rear motor: 300 kW
TOTAL OUTPUT
Power: 425 kW
Torque: 760 Nm
BATTERY PACK
Type: Lithium iron phosphate
Capacity: 36.8 kWh
Energy consumption 24.4 kWh/100km
Maximum charging capacity AC/DC 11 6 kW / 120 kW
Power share capacity A2L/V2V 6kW/6kW
DRIVELINE: Single-speed reduction gear auto (front) / two-speed transmission (rear), AWD
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT, AND CAPACITIES
Length: 5195 mm
Width: 1994 mm
Height: 1905 mm
Wheelbase: 2920 mm
Kerb weight: 3290 kg
Turning circle: 12.0 m
Fuel tank: 91 l
BRAKES
Front: Ventilated disc
Rear: Ventilated disc
STANDARD WARRANTY
6-years / 150,000km (plus 8 years / 160,000km on high-voltage battery)
