See ya, Toyota: BYD’s Denza says first B5 and B8 customers in Australia are trading in their LandCruiser 300 Series and Prados
BYD premium brand Denza says it knows it has a big road to climb to topple the titans of Australia’s 4WD SUV segment, but the new and electrified Chinese brand is off to a flyer.
Executives say customers are trading in their Toyota LandCruiser Prados and 300 Series, as well as luxury SUVs from Audi BMW and Range Rover, to climb into the new B5 (pictured top) or B8.
That’s from new Denza Australia COO Mark Harland, who says Denza’s fledgling dealer network is seeing customers trade out of a broad sweep of SUVs.
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“I believe we have the luxury, the technology, the off-road capability to compete with any SUV,” Harland said.
“And we’ve priced it so we can (attract) people that are looking at the very ultra-luxury premium price points, but also people that are looking to stretch their budget a little bit.
“When I look at the cars that are being traded in early… it’s everything from Range Rovers to LandCruisers, Prados, Audis, BMWs — we’re seeing quite a range.
“And if I could have imagined a perfect start, this is it.”
Mr Harland said 2000 vehicles have docked in Australia, almost all of which are already spoken for, and says more orders are arriving every day.
While sales of the B8 have been split almost 50:50 between the cheaper seven-seat model and the near-$100k six-seat version, some 80 per cent of sales of the B5 have been of the flagship Leopard variant.
The B8 acts as the flagship of the new Denza range, with the full-size SUV stretching more than five metres in length, and weighing in at almost 3.3 tonnes.
Helping to move that metal is a BYD Shark 6-style DMO plug-in hybrid powertrain, with a 2.0-litre petrol engine paired with two electric motors to produce a formidable 425kW and 760Nm.
Available as a seven-seater ($91,000 plus on-roads) or a six-seater with middle row captain’s chairs and some extra gear($97,990), the B8 is dripping with gear, including hydraulic suspension, two diff locks, tri-zone climate control, heated, ventilated and massaging front seats, and a 18-speaker stereo.
The smaller five-seat B5 deploys a slightly smaller version of the DMO powertrain, with its 1.5-litre engine pairing with twin electric motors for combined 400kW and 760Nm.
It starts at $74,990 plus on-road costs for the standard model, but buyers are gravitating towards the better-equipped $79,990 B5 Leopard, which deploys the same hydraulic suspension system as the B8, as well as 20-inch wheels (up from 18s), Nappa leather, ventilated and heated rear seats and a tougher exterior package.
