Denza B5: BYD Group SUV for Europe – hybrid takes on Land Rover Defender

Denza B5 (in China and continental Europe — Bao 5) is a body-on-frame plug-in hybrid from BYD’s premium brand, which Denza brought to the Paris Motor Show on 12–18 October 2026 as its first SUV for Europe. The European version delivers 544 hp and 760 N·m, can drive up to 90 km on electric power under WLTP and costs from €75,630 in France and from £69,500 in the UK — about £2,000 less than the plug-in Land Rover Defender 110.

Contents

• What the Denza B5 is and where it came from
• What Denza showed in Paris
• What hybrid is in the Denza B5
• Is it a real off-roader
• What’s inside and in the trims
• How the B5 differs from the Land Rover Defender
• Which accessories fit the Denza B5

What the Denza B5 is and where it came from

This car is not new to China. It was unveiled in August 2023 as the Fangchengbao Bao 5 (also known as the Leopard 5) — the first model of BYD’s “off-road” brand, with sales starting in November 2023. In 2024, almost 46,000 cars were sold in China; in 2025 — around 52,000. Since 2025, the model has been exported under the Denza brand with the B5 name: to the UAE, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and the Philippines. We have already covered the Chinese version in the BYD Leopard 5 review, so here we will focus on what has changed for Europe.

Denza is BYD’s premium brand, known here primarily for the Denza D9 minivan and the Denza Z9 GT shooting brake. The brand’s official launch in Europe took place in spring 2026 in Paris, with the first wave covering Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. In this lineup, the B5 is the first off-roader and, according to the company itself, the first SUV of the brand sold in Europe.

What Denza showed in Paris

For Denza, this is its first participation in Mondial de l'Auto: a stand in Hall 5.3 of the Porte de Versailles exhibition center, with a press conference on 12 October. Alongside the B5, the brand displayed the D9 minivan, the Z9 GT and the Denza Z electric supercar in three versions (Coupé, Spider and Racing), as well as the FLASH Charging ultra-fast charging station. We gathered other show premieres in our roundup of the 2026 Paris Motor Show.

It is important to understand: Paris is not the world premiere of the B5. The European audience first saw the model on 9 July 2026 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK, when orders also opened. In Paris, the B5 is the main exhibit for the French market, where it can already be ordered, and the first deliveries are promised by the end of 2026.

What hybrid is in the Denza B5

The powertrain is Super Hybrid DMO (Dual Mode Off-road): a longitudinal 1.5-liter turbo gasoline engine (around 150 hp) and two electric motors, one for each axle. In total, the European version has 544 hp and 760 N·m. The Chinese version is more powerful — 687 hp — meaning output was deliberately reduced for Europe, as in Australia.

The battery charges on DC at up to 100 kW: 30–80% in 16 minutes. On AC — up to 11 kW, a full charge from 15% takes a little over three hours. Claimed combined-cycle consumption is 4.2 L per 100 km, but that figure is for charged batteries; on gasoline alone, according to Auto Express, consumption is around 10.7 L per 100 km (26.4 mpg). Top speed is around 180 km/h.

Is it a real off-roader

By design — yes. The B5 is body-on-frame, with independent double-wishbone suspension front and rear, electronic locking of the front and rear differentials and electronic torque distribution between axles, which, according to the manufacturer, reacts 30 times faster than a mechanical clutch. There is no separate transfer case with low range here: the electric motors, with maximum torque from zero rpm, play the role of the “low gear.”

The difference between the versions is felt specifically off-road. The Ultimate gets the DiSus-P hydraulic suspension, which raises the body by 90 mm or lowers it by 50 mm; in the highest position, ground clearance is up to 310 mm, and approach and departure angles are 39° and 34° — five degrees more than in the Elegance. The manufacturer has not yet published wading depth for the European version.

B5 length is about 4.89 m (Chinese version — 4,888 mm), width — 1,970 mm, height — 1,920 mm, wheelbase — 2,800 mm. Trunk — 475 L, with the second row folded — 1,069 L.

What’s inside and in the trims

The European B5 is a five-seater. Even the base Elegance comes with 18-inch wheels, side steps, a panoramic roof, a powered tailgate, a 12.3-inch instrument panel and head-up display, a 15.6-inch central screen with Google services, a separate screen for the passenger, a Devialet audio system with 18 speakers, front seats with heating, ventilation and massage, heated rear seats, and a 4.5 L cooled box in the tunnel.

The Ultimate adds 20-inch wheels, retractable powered side steps, Nappa leather, rear-seat ventilation, a digital rearview mirror and the already mentioned DiSus-P suspension. So the extra money here buys not so much comfort as off-road capability.

How the B5 differs from the Land Rover Defender

Denza openly names its rivals as the Land Rover Defender 110, Toyota Land Cruiser and Ineos Grenadier — and visually the B5 действительно resembles the “Defender” with its boxy silhouette. The closest in concept competitor is the plug-in Defender 110 P400e, and technically these are different vehicles: the Defender has a unibody construction and a classic transmission with low range, while the B5 has a frame and electric drive on both axles.

In terms of power and electric range, the B5 is stronger; in terms of price in the UK — on a par with the Defender, so you cannot call it a cheap “Chinese” car: in China the same model starts from 259,800 yuan.

The main questions about the B5 in Europe are not about capability, but about a weight close to three tons, taxes on heavy cars (in France — a large ecological malus) and a still unknown residual value. Euro NCAP has not tested the model yet. There are no official Denza sales in Ukraine, so the B5 will appear on our roads as private imports.

Which accessories fit the Denza B5

We do not yet have model-specific accessories for the B5 in our catalog — for the brand there is a Denza tuning section with products for the N7 and D9. For an off-roader bought for trips into nature, the most useful universal items at the start are:

• Mats with a high lip.Universal mats удерживают water, snow and dirt, and a large trunk mat for 475 L protects the floor from wet gear.
• Mud flaps. On dirt roads, the wheels throw грязь onto the sills and bumpers; universal mud flaps, including versions for AWD vehicles, cover this area.

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