China breaks into the luxury car market with Denza

After conquering the bottom end of the market with cheap small cars, SUVs, utes, and vans, Chinese manufacturers are looking to more-premium pastures, as they take on established legacy and luxury car-markers.

BYD is the most bullish in Australia at the moment, with the introduction this week of the Denza sub-brand that has up-market SUVs in its crosshairs.

Priced from $74,990 before on-road costs, the Denza B5 is a body-on-frame four-wheel drive wagon about the size of Land Rover Defender 110 and Toyota’s venerable Prado, but differs from the Japanese off-road wagon stalwart by offering a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) powertrain.

It combines a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with an electric motor on each axle, for a startling power and torque output of 400kW and 760Nm respectively. As a result, it is almost as fast as a Porsche with a 0-100km/h sprint time of 4.8 seconds, while a 31.8kWh battery pack can, conversely, provide up to 90km of pure electric range.

Available in base Standard or up-spec Leopard trim for another $5000, the B5 is also equipped with luxury features that are more-akin to the Toyota’s closely related Lexus GX version that slips in at just under $95,000. These include massaging front seats that are heated and vented, air suspension, Nappa leather upholstery and a digitised rear-view mirror.

Underneath, the B5 is based on the BYD Sealion 6 PHEV wagon body-on-frame platform but continues to up the ante with front and rear mechanical diff locks for greater off-road capability, up to 790mm of water-wading ability, and a 3000kg braked towing capacity.

Meanwhile, the longer and larger Denza B8 three-row four-wheel drive wagon version is even more expensive, as it targets the bigger Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series as well as the Nissan Patrol.

Things kick off with the 7S from $91,000. This is a seven-seater model with a family-friendly 2+3+2 configuration, while a more-salubrious 6S six-seater flagship from $97,990 swaps out the three-person middle bench for a pair of captain’s chairs, amongst other goodies.

Related to the successful BYD Shark 6 PHEV ute, the B8 swaps out the B5’s 1.5-litre turbo for a 425kW/760Nm 2.0-litre turbo PHEV powertrain, again featuring twin electric motors for four-wheel drive, while gaining a slightly larger battery pack at 36.8kWh. And while it’s as quick to accelerate to 100km/h, it can tow a bit more at 3500kg yet still manages to be as effective off the beaten track.

It isn’t just BYD that’s building their dreams either amongst Chinese car manufacturers, with MG and GWM making headlines with premium products that take the fight right up to Europe, Japan, South Korea and North America.

Late last year, MG smashed through the $100,000 barrier with the outrageous Cyberster all-electric high-performance two-seater roadster, with the startlingly-quick (0-100km/h in 3.2s) twin electric motor version currently retailing at $115,000.

The same company also launched a sub-brand called IM by MG (for Intelligence in Motion). It sells the low-slung IM5 five-seater medium-sized EV sports sedan as well as the IM6 SUV Coupe version. Both ranges span between $61,000 to $81,000.

Finally, GWM – that started off selling ultra-low-priced utes like the Steed during the 2010s – now sells the popular Tank 500 in top-line Hi4-T PHEV 4x4 guise from $79,990 (drive-away), providing competition for the Denza B5 as well as the Prado and Defender 110.