Denza B5 vs Toyota Prado

Yes, mostly. The B5 has locking front and rear diffs, off-road modes and a tank-turn function, plus a rear-axle low-range gearset with the front motor electronically matched — capable, though it's a modest, computer-managed low range rather than the Prado's mechanical setup with real engine braking. Its 32-degree departure angle beats the Prado's 17, and it wades 700mm (790mm on the Leopard's raised suspension). The Prado answers with full-time four-wheel drive, a lockable centre diff, low range, crawl control and hill-descent control on every grade; the Altitude adds a stabiliser-disconnect and all-terrain tyres. The split is proof: three decades of Prado remote-touring history and a dealer network reaching the bush. On the spec sheet the B5 holds its own; a long way from help, the Prado still leads.

The Prado tows more: 3500kg braked to the B5's 3000. It also holds the higher gross combination mass, 6600kg against 6122, so it carries more vehicle-plus-trailer in total. Payload is closer and grade-dependent: the base B5 carries 600kg to the Prado's 580, the Leopard just 490. Both pull 750kg unbraked. A May 2026 over-the-air update gave the B5 towing cruise control and trailer-weight selection, a real touring addition. The honest catch stays on the B5 side: at close to three tonnes kerb, five adults and luggage while towing near the limit eats its margin fast. The Prado is the heavier, more flexible tow rig.

This is the B5's central pitch. Charged from a wall it claims 3.9 litres per 100km combined, and the 31.8kWh battery covers most daily commutes on electricity before the petrol engine joins in; the Prado's diesel claims 7.6. Servicing now cuts both ways. The Prado's capped-price visits cost $390 each but fall due every six months or 10,000km, roughly $3,900 over five years. The B5 needs only a yearly 20,000km service after a short first visit, though Denza was still rolling out its pre-paid plan pricing as of July 2026. The fuel figures assume a charged battery and fade on long unplugged trips. Charge nightly and the B5 wins; the Prado's costs are dearer but fully published.

Neither gives ground easily, and the result is a real split. The B5 carries a 2025 five-star rating: 86 per cent adult occupant, 95 child occupant, 74 vulnerable road user and 78 safety assist. The Prado's 2024 five-star result reads 85, 89, 84 and 82. The B5 holds the fresher test and the stronger occupant scores, especially for children; the Prado leads on pedestrian protection and safety assist. Both fit nine airbags, autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert as standard. Read the B5 as ahead for the people inside it, the Prado for the road users outside it.

For cabin theatre the B5 leads, and it anchors the value story. The base car wraps the seats in leather and heats, ventilates and massages the fronts, with a head-up display, a 15.6-inch touchscreen, a 12.3-inch driver cluster, a 16-speaker stereo and a panoramic roof standard; the Leopard steps up to Nappa. The Prado is plush from the GXL up, with three-zone climate and heated and ventilated seats, but its 12.3-inch cluster starts at the VX and its head-up display at the Altitude, while a 360-degree camera and built-in navigation are standard range-wide. For materials and screens the B5 wins clearly; the Prado counters with familiar switchgear.

Denza is BYD's premium marque and the B5 its first Australian model, on sale since December 2025. There is no local resale history yet and the dealer network is still growing; the cushion is a six-year, 150,000km warranty. The Prado sits at the other pole: a nameplate here since 1996, Australia's best-selling large SUV for most of those years until the Ford Everest took the 2025 crown, with the resale and dealer reach the badge carries and five years of unlimited-kilometre cover. Keep cars long or travel remote and the record is worth real money. The Prado is the safer bet; the B5 pays you upfront to back a newcomer.

The Prado leads on family flexibility. The GXL, VX and Kakadu offer up to seven seats where the B5 is five-seat only, and the five-seat GX and GXL carry a 954-litre boot against the B5's 470. The wrinkle is the Prado's own seven-seaters, which surrender boot depth to the under-floor battery (the third row folds onto the floor, not into it). The B5 answers with a plusher cabin, the newer safety rating and far cheaper commuting if you charge nightly. For row three or maximum cargo, the Prado is the pick; a five-seat family chasing running costs should look hard at the B5.

It comes down to the trade you make. The Prado GX undercuts the base B5 on driveaway price, $79,369 against $81,986 as of July 2026, but grade for grade the B5 hands you more: 400kW, a plusher cabin, off-road hardware and plug-in running costs no diesel matches. The Prado banks the long game: a 3500kg tow rating, up to seven seats, a 110-litre tank and three decades of resale record. Charge at home, stay five-seat and accept the young badge: the B5 is the pick. Tour remote, need row three or keep cars for a decade: the Prado. Both are five-star safe; new versus proven decides it.