Over the last couple of years, we’ve seen dozens of new EV models as the market has grown, but serious off-road 4WDs have remained stubbornly diesel-dominated.
That’s about to change, and we have a chance to spend some time with the first two models. Enter Denza B5 – both are a BYD brand, which of course delivered the very popular BYD Shark 6 last year, selling over 18,000 in 2025. While not a full EV, the B5 represents one of the most serious electrified alternatives yet to diesel 4WDs.
This plug-in hybrid is geared towards adventuring families and comes packed with 3 tonnes of towing, going straight after the very popular Diesel Toyota Prado.
Looks-wise, it looks like many other premium off-roaders, but the 2026 Denza B5 is different. I recently drove it from Adelaide to the Flinders Ranges.
This wasn’t a normal run around the city where many Diesel off-roaders spend most of their time. It was a 500-kilometre trek into the heart of the Australian Outback, taking on some serious on and off-roading adventures over two days.
Starting with the price, which is the big surprise. It starts at $74,990 plus on-roads. That puts it right against the base Toyota Prado.
Having said that, the Denza B5 offers twice the power and much more tech that’s generations ahead. It feels like a bargain compared to European luxury rivals.
The B5 is a plug-in hybrid with a twist. Similar to the BYD Shark 6, it uses BYD’s Dual Mode Off-road (DM-O) platform.
Under the bonnet is a 1.5-litre turbo engine. It works with two powerful electric motors. Together, they produce 425 kW and 760 Nm.
On the highway out of Adelaide, it felt very zippy off the line, closer to a sports car. It was similar to what I got when I tested the Shark 6 in Marysville, Victoria, in 2024. A ute wasn’t supposed to be this quick but it was.
Similarly, the Denza B5 hits 100 km/h from a standstill in just 4.8 seconds. That is quite a thing to experience for a three-tonne SUV, it certainly gives Prado buyers something new to consider.
The transition between petrol and electric is seamless. You get 90 km of pure EV range for the city from a 31.8 kWh BYD Blade Battery pack.
It also supports 10-80% DC charging times of around 20 minutes, with charging speeds up to 100 kW.
On the road, the total range can be up to 1,000 km for those travelling occasional long distances, like the drive up to Wilpena Pound.
Speaking of the drive up the state, it was quite an experience. On the inside, the B5 packs quite a bit of luxury. Even as the heat outside was getting up as we approached the middle of the day into the afternoon, the Nappa leather seats were ventilated, and the aircon worked like it was built for the Outback.
On top of that, there is even a built-in fridge in the console. It kept my drinks ice-cold during the trip up, and I didn’t even need to think about setting it every time I got back into the car. That’s something most variants of the Prado just don’t have.
The B5’s massage seats also give it a much more premium feel, and of course, like most premium BYD and Denza products, there is a large 15.6-inch screen, which I must say has the best in-car software of any 4WD I’ve ever been in.
Along with that, there is a 16-speaker Devialet sound system, which I felt was not too bad for most music, although bass-loaded and punchy beats felt a bit muffled in the short time I spent with it, that’s of course comparing it to sound systems found in Tesla, Volvo and others with Premium audio on the market.
While on the road, the head-up display worked really well and with navigation on, it projected the directions clearly, even against the much brighter sun past the town of Hawker, nearly 400 km north of Adelaide.
Looking at the space in the B5, it’s more than enough on both rows, and after spending a bit of time on the back too, on some long stretches up to the Flinders Ranges, it was very comfortable, especially thanks to the flat floor, which makes the back seat feel like a lounge.
The following day, we hit the off-road tracks near Wilpena Pound. The B5 and the engineering behind it felt like that’s what it was made for. It didn’t feel like a soft-roader but more of a body-on-frame vehicle, designed for these rugged tracks.
Unlike the BYD Shark 6, the Denza now packs front and rear diff locks. It even has a tank turn function for tight trails.
Another big seller for the B5 is the very unique DiSus-P hydraulic suspension that you get on the Leopard variant, with pricing starting at $79,990 before on-roads.
On the rocky climbs of the Flinders, I raised the ride height to 310 mm, which absorbed the corrugated tracks without any dramas.
The steepness of most terrain didn’t pose much of an issue, thanks to this suspension and the approach angle of 39 degrees with suspension raised.
On the descent, it was very similar to the departure angle of 35 degrees, combined with the 360-degree view you get on the screen, even an amateur off-roader like myself could get through the tracks, knowing the tech inside would help if we ran into trouble.
The 790 mm wading depth gave me confidence that even on terrain with creek crossings, it’d drive through . It lacks the legendary feel of a LandCruiser, but the tech makes off-roading accessible.
Having said all that, no car is perfect. The B5 is quite heavy, and you feel that weight in high-speed corners. The steering is a bit light for my liking, too, but then again, the steering could likely be stiffened. Where the B5 still has something to prove is long-term durability. Buyers cross-shopping a Prado or LandCruiser are often thinking in decades, not just features. Denza will need to demonstrate reliability in harsh Australian conditions over time
Towing capacity is rated at 3 tonnes, slightly below the Prado’s 3.5-tonne figure. For buyers regularly hauling large caravans or heavy trailers, that difference may matter, though for most use cases it’s unlikely to be a limiting factor.
The 2026 Denza B5 proved itself in the dirt, and it handled the adventure up to the Flinders without a single rattle. It is quiet, powerful, and very capable on and off-road.
Serious electrified off-roaders have been a long time coming. The B5 isn’t a gimmick or a novelty, it’s a genuinely capable alternative in a segment that has barely moved beyond diesel.
It is an extremely capable alternative for Australian drivers hitting the suburbs and the bush. For buyers wanting luxury and electrification without diesel, it makes a compelling case.
Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.