Bingo! If we were playing a 2026 game of new-car bingo, I would undoubtedly have a full house with this. Chinese? Check. SUV? Check. Plug-in hybrid? Land Rover styling? Ludicrous power? Check, check and check.
This is the Denza B5. It is one of three models from BYD's new SUV sub-brand, Fangchengbao, but it will be badged as a Denza in the UK. It is positioned as a sibling to the premium brand's Z9 GT shooting brake, which is also heading to our shores.
Denza was founded in 2010 as a joint venture between BYD and Mercedes-Benz, but it is now wholly owned by the Chinese firm. The B5 uses a 'DMO Super-Hybrid Off-Road' ladder-frame platform and takes its power from a plug-in hybrid system centred around a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine with an electric motor on each axle. Together, the system pumps out up to 677bhp and 561lb ft of torque.
A sizeable, 31.8kWh battery supplies enough power for a claimed electric-only range of up to 62 miles on the WLTC cycle. As it is not yet road-legal in the UK, I only had the chance to test it on the private roads within the Goodwood estate and on the track itself.
Weighing close to three tonnes, it certainly feels its size in the corners of Goodwood’s fast and flowing circuit. There is a top-heaviness to the B5 that feels remarkably old-school. This can be attributed to a general lack of tight body control though, to be fair, a racing circuit is a harsh environment for evaluating an SUV.
It has the loft and waft we often associate with Chinese models, and from the limited amount of slow driving I managed around Goodwood's perimeter, I can confirm the low-speed ride is excellent. It seemed remarkably unfazed by gravel, potholes, muddy fields and general car-park detritus during my drive. The real test will be on the motorway, where I suspect it could feel a bit clumsy and uncoordinated.
The brakes are strong and consistent, with enough feedback to prevent any alarming moments. There is a slight step between the regenerative and friction braking, but it is something you can easily adapt to.
It feels quick on the straights. Low-speed acceleration is fierce, but it can feel a little lost by the time it gets onto Goodwood’s fast Lavant straight. When the engine kicks in, it uses an e-CVT gearbox, giving the acceleration a slight 'elastic band' feel. There is no augmented noise, so the engine can sound a little reedy. On track, the traction control feels a bit nannying – and I wonder if this will be a bit of a wheelspin monster like with other Chinese SUVs.
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