What do you think a four-wheel drive SUV with active suspension, 550kW, locking front and rear differentials, and 100km of electric driving range might cost?
A cool $300,000 — maybe less, maybe more. But what if you could get all those stats for less than half the price? That would be quite the offering.
We don’t know exactly what the Denza B8 (also known as the Fangchengbao Bao 8) will cost, or even if it’s coming to Australia, but if it does the big brother to the B5 and upmarket cousin to the Shark 6 ute is touting Range Rover for tech and luxury for Toyota Land Cruiser money.
When over in China with BYD, Chasing Cars had a chance to sample various models, including the B8, which the brand is considering for Australia.
Sitting above the B5 in the China-market Fangchengbao range, the B8 uses similar ladder-frame underpinnings and DMO four-wheel drive system but with more power (up from 505kW) along with trick hydraulic suspension, and seating for seven.
Then there’s the presence. The metallic mint example we drove is simple eyecatching, with near-vertical windows emphasised by pumped arches. Even the Defender (or maybe Santa Fe) like rear end looked good with its full-size spare hanging off the tailgate wrapped in body-colour material.
Interior accommodation feels proper luxury, too. Tan Nappa leather upholstered power-adjustable seats with heating, ventilation and massage functions ensconce you as you drop in. That same upholstery extends to the dash and door tops, along with the sturdy grab handles.
A massive 17.3-inch touchscreen sits in the middle and can be rotated between portrait and landscape orientations.
The driver gets a 12.3-inch digital display which gives information on speed, direction, and vehicle status while the passenger gets a separate touchscreen through which they can adjust audio and even run karaoke sessions.
Basically, the B8 is the same, architecturally, as the B5 (and very similar to the Shark 6 ute) underneath the layer of luxury. That means sturdy construction and a smattering of useful hard buttons for drive modes, differential locks, and a volume scroll wheel. There are twin wireless charging pads in the front, too.
Second row accommodation continues in a similar vein with lashings of leather and classy brightwork giving an upmarket vibe to the cabin. There is lots of space on offer in the back with power-adjustable tilt and slide for passengers and 60:40 split seating.
Touchscreens control two separate temperature zones and volume in the back, there’s heated and ventilated seats, a huge panoramic sunroof, Isofix tabs, leather-bound grab handles and power open doors with soft-close function.
Unlike the shorter B5, the 5.2-metre long B8 manages to squeeze in a third row, too, with power-folding seats for ease-of-use.
The boot is large and square with a side-swing tailgate. Being a 4WD, the load height is quite elevated but the pneumatic suspension can raise or lower for easier loading. A netted cubby is nestled into the fairly chunky tailgate for extra, easy-access storage when the B8 is heavily loaded.
Under the B8’s bonnet is a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder putting out 200kW — nothing hugely special. It’s teamed up with a 36.9kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack from which a pair of electric motors draw power.
Total combined outputs are a staggering 550kW and 760Nm — yikes. An equally planetary 3305kg kerb weight does stunt the B8’s pace somewhat, though 0-100km/h in 4.8 seconds is pretty bloomin’ rapid. Top speed is limited to 180km/h.
Solid EV credentials include 100km of CLTC-verified electric-only range, fast-charging up to 120kW (DC) and 1200km claimed combined driving range.
Three pods on the roof look a little robotaxi, yet house more smarts with 12 cameras, 12 ultrasonic sensors, three millimetre-wave radars and a Lidar sensor promising level 2 autonomy with urban self-driving — though we didn’t get to sample these features.
We’ll start the drive impressions on dirt, where a claustrophobic ATV track emphasised the B8’s near two-metre width as much as the light electric power-assisted steering system. It features a simulated low-range setting which gives more measured power delivery. There are myriad drive modes, including the intriguing ‘Burst’ mode to get the vehicle un-stuck.
We didn’t have to use that one, thankfully, though there was an obstacle to play with the electric locking differentials, which are easily engaged with a physical switch near the gear selector, or through the touchscreen. With easy-to-modulate e-motors and plenty of ground clearance, the B8 showed potential off-road.
The B8 rides on active, hydraulic height-adjustable suspension BYD calls ‘DiSus-P’ allowing the B8 an impressive 890mm maximum wading depth and up to 310mm ground clearance. We noted that, oddly, the more complex B8’s ride was busier on dirt and on tarmac than the steel-sprung B5.
A car-park test drive in the B8 revealed stonking straight-line acceleration. It still rears up under power, but the trick suspension tries its best to counteract physics and so the B8 feels a bit more in control than the B5. Through the corners, this is true to an extent though the larger Bao is still quite a handful.
Not quite as wayward as the even more complex, quad-motor Yangwang U8 that was also circulating. So while BYD seems to have all the technology in place, truth is the B5 was the most pleasant and cohesive of the three 4WD models to pilot. There’s room for improvement in the B8’s smart systems, for sure.
Should BYD consider this Lexus LX and Nissan Patrol challenger, then? Well, at under $100K, the B5 is a no-brainer to take on Prado, Everest, GWM Tank and co, but the B8 is harder to swing.
With a vehicle like the B8, BYD’s luxury Denza brand would be truly playing up into the luxury territory where badge credence counts for a lot, and in Australia reliability and parts availability counts for even more.
