Denza B5 vs Denza B8

As of July 2026 the base B5 lands at $81,986 driveaway and the seven-seat B8 7S at $99,518, a gap of about $17,500. The B5 Leopard sits at $87,236 and the six-seat B8 6S, the only grade with a front locker, at $106,980. So the ranges barely overlap: the dearest B5 still undercuts the cheapest B8 by more than $12,000. For that step you buy a third row, a larger body, more clearance and a higher tow rating, not more pace, because both make 760Nm and hit 100km/h in a claimed 4.8 seconds. Decide on size and seats, because the drivetrain barely changes.

The honest answer is seat count. The B5 is five-seat only; the B8 adds a third row in the 7S or two captain's chairs in the 6S. If you never need those rear seats, the B5 covers the same ground: the same locking-diff, low-range and tank-turn hardware, the same plug-in running, a five-star rating and the same six-year warranty, in a lighter body that turns in more willingly for more than $17,000 less as of July 2026. The B8 answers with more clearance, more wading depth, a higher tow rating and a bigger screen. None of that outweighs an unused third row. Need the seats, buy the B8; don't, and the B5 is the smarter Denza.

The B8 is the bigger rig all around: 3,500kg braked to the B5's 3,000, a 7,174kg gross combination mass against 6,122, and a 702kg payload against the base B5's 600. Both pull 750kg unbraked. The catch is the B8's 3,290kg kerb weight. Hitch a heavy van and subtract both trailer and vehicle from that combination mass, and only a few hundred kilograms remain for people and gear. The lighter B5 gives up 500kg of tow rating but keeps more of itself in reserve, and its base payload is only 100kg shy. Tow big and often, the B8 leads; tow occasionally and value payload, the B5 holds up well.

They share the philosophy. Both fit locking front and rear differentials, the B8's front locker on the 6S only, a tank-turn function, terrain modes and a rear-axle low-range gearset rather than a traditional transfer case, the front motor speed-matched electronically. The B8 sits higher, with 310mm of ground clearance to the B5's 220 and 890mm of wading to 700, plus steeper breakover and departure angles. What it gives back is mass: at 3,290kg it works harder on technical ground and is heavier to recover than the 2,897kg B5. For touring and dirt roads the B8's geometry is the safer bet; for lighter off-road work the B5 does most of it and is easier to place.

Charge either nightly and the sums are excellent: both claim 3.9 litres per 100km on the combined cycle with the battery topped up. The B8 carries the larger 36.8kWh battery, a 91-litre tank and a claimed 100km of electric range, and fast-charges at up to 120kW on DC; the B5 runs a 31.8kWh battery and an 83-litre tank for a claimed 90km of electric range and up to 100kW DC charging. Both take 11kW from a home AC wallbox. Let the battery run flat on a long tour and both lean harder on petrol, the heavier B8 more so. The B8 publishes capped servicing at $3,745.50 over five years on yearly or 20,000km intervals as of July 2026; Denza was still finalising the B5's pre-paid plan as this page was written. Both carry a six-year, 150,000km warranty, with eight years on the B8's battery.

Both wear a 2025 five-star ANCAP rating, and the pillar scores are almost interchangeable. Each scores 86 per cent adult occupant and 95 per cent child occupant, with the B8 a point ahead on vulnerable-road-user protection, 75 to 74, and both level on safety assist at 78. Worth knowing, ANCAP based the B8's rating on crash-testing the smaller B5, then ran extra front-end testing on the B8. Autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are standard on both. Airbag counts are the one figure to ignore: Australian sources quote anywhere from nine to thirteen and ANCAP publishes coverage rather than a number, so judge the spread, not the tally.

Neither cabin is the poor relation begging for a buck at Christmas. The B5 opens with a 15.6-inch central screen, a 12.3-inch driver display, a head-up display, a 16-speaker stereo, a panoramic roof and leather that heats, cools and massages up front, with Nappa on the Leopard. The B8 steps up to a 17.3-inch screen, an 18-speaker system, tri-zone climate with rear air and Nappa on the 6S, plus captain's chairs in place of the third row. Both feel a segment dearer than they cost. The B8's extras track its price, so the cabin alone is not a reason to step up; the B5 already delivers most of the theatre for thousands less.

Denza is BYD's premium marque and both cars are its first Australian models, on sale since late 2025. Neither has a local resale record yet, and the dealer network is still growing; the cushion is the same six-year, 150,000km warranty on each, plus eight years on the B8's battery. Because the trust question is identical, the smarter buy comes down to fit. The B5 asks less money for less car and mass, the lower-risk, better-value entry for a five-seat household. The B8 is the buy only when the third row, the higher tow rating or the extra clearance are things you will actually use, because you pay for them twice, in dollars and in kilograms.