mReview: DENZA B5 – The Chinese Gateway To Living Large
The DENZA B5 is one of the finest offerings under the BYD umbrella, with real focus paid to living large, both literally and figuratively.
At a hair over 1.9-metres tall, a hair under 4.9-metres long, and very nearly 2-metres wide, all it takes is a glance to see the DENZA B5 for the absolute unit it is. The B5’s largeness is not, however, purely physical. This particular luxury off-roader would be a top contender in a game of Top Trumps, even amongst the best luxury off-roaders the car world has to offer.
The DENZA B5 has one of the strongest-looking front ends on the market today. Road hoggers, watch out.
In terms of appearances, the DENZA B5 does it right, taking several leaves out of the luxury off-roader playbook. We’re talking a big boxy shape, flared wheel arches, a huge in-your-face grille, and the full-size spare tyre on the side-hinged tailgate.
A full-sized spare tyre on the rear tailgate adds to the beefy, off-roader look of the B5.
It’s hard to fly under the radar in the B5. People absolutely take notice of this car on the roads, and it definitely doesn’t blend into traffic, even when painted black and not one of the brighter colours like Glacier Blue or Leopard Gold.
And that’s just when you’re looking at it from the side. Seeing this monster coming up in your rear view is imposing, especially so if you knew what lay under the bonnet.
That’s because the B5 is hardly an example of all show and no go. Its plug-in hybrid powertrain is not just efficient, it’s powerful. Really powerful.
DMO stands for dual-mode off-road, a variation of the DM-i systems from BYD that we've seen so far in Singapore.
The 1.5-litre 4-cylinder engine produces a modest 181hp on its own, but it’s paired with two electric motors for a total combined output of 570hp and 760Nm of torque sent to all four wheels.
That’s enough to launch the B5 to 100km/h from a standstill in just 4.8 seconds, a frankly terrifying feat considering the B5 weighs nigh on three tonnes. Flat out, the B5 will hit 180km/h but I’m not sure I’d want to pilot this presidential-suite-on-wheels at that speed. Driving a car like this at speeds like that just seems vulgar and unnecessary, on top of being just generally unwise.
That’s not to say the B5 is unstable, not in the slightest. You genuinely feel like you could withstand a head-on impact with a train when driving around in the B5, such is the build quality of this DENZA. And around town and at much more reasonable speeds, the B5 has a wafty air about it as any luxury SUV worth its salt should have.
The B5's interior is awash in leather and soft-touch materials; there's not a dingy bit of plastic to be found.
This waftiness complements the electric-first philosophy that BYD PHEVs have as well when it comes to how the B5 drives. The 31.8kWh battery in the B5 has more capacity than some entire EVs, and boasts up to 90km of range on electric power alone, according to the WLTC scale.
The sheer size of the B5 also gives you that king-of-the-road feel, thanks to the lofty driving position and cocooned comfort the driver will find themselves in. Leather is the name of the game in the B5’s cabin, with the seats, centre console, dashboard, steering wheel, and even the passenger grab handle upholstered in it.
No bad seats in the house when you're riding in the B5. You can even get yourself a refreshing beverage from the in-car fridge.
Elsewhere in the cabin, you get crystal-look switches for things like the hazard lights, engine start-stop, the low-range gearbox, and toggling between electric and hybrid modes. There are also plenty of other switches and dials across the centre console and steering wheel that control everything from the differential locks to adaptive cruise control.
The B5's 470 litres of boot space is easily accessible thanks to the side-opening tailgate.
The steering wheel buttons also cycle through the information on the 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, with some key vehicle information also projected on the heads-up display that’s offered as standard equipment.
But taking centre stage in the cabin has to be the infotainment screen mounted in the middle of the dashboard. At 15.6 inches, the B5’s centre display is larger than even the laptop on which I’m typing this story, which makes for easy viewing and operation of all the B5’s functions. And as part of the luxury infotainment setup in this car, the cabin is also treated to a 16-speaker Devialet premium sound system that exudes aural pleasure for all the occupants.
The row of crystal-look toggle switches below the gear lever is a lovely touch.
As the first entrant in the luxury SUV segment under the BYD/DENZA umbrella here in Singapore, the B5 has arrived in a big way. It combines impressive build quality with an equally impressive drive and is being sold at a typically value-for-money price to sweeten the deal even further.
I suspect many a car shopper will have the B5 in their to-view list, as long as staying inconspicuous isn’t a strong priority, of course.
| DENZA B5 Orion | ||
|---|---|---|
| Price (at time of publishing): $339,888 including COE | VES Band: C2 | |
Engine: Turbocharged 4-cylinder inline, plug-in hybrid |
Capacity: 1,498 cc |
Combined Power & Torque: 570 bhp & 760 Nm |
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear |
Driven Wheels: All (selectable) |
Consumption: 25.6 km/L |
0-100 km/h: 4.8 seconds |
Top Speed: 180 km/h |
Fuel Tank & Battery Capacity: 83 litres & 31.8 kWh |
|
Dimensions (L x W x H):
4,888 mm x 1,970 mm
x 1,920 mm |
Wheelbase: 2,800 mm
|
Cargo Capacity: 470 litres |
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