Denza B5 in Portugal: Price, Specs and Defender Comparison
Published: 12/07/2026
A proper off-roader, now plug-in hybrid and Chinese
BYD has just shown the car it wants to poach Land Rover Defender buyers with — and it does so with a ladder-frame chassis, two electric motors and a price below the British icon. It's called the Denza B5 (or Bao 5, as the UK press labels it), and it made its European debut at the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed. This is the first European SUV from Denza, the premium brand of the Chinese giant, and the pitch is clear: genuine off-road ability, but with the emissions figure of a plug-in hybrid.
For now the UK is the beachhead, with order books opening within weeks and first deliveries before the end of 2026. On the Denza B5 price Portugal question there's still no confirmation — but it's worth understanding what's coming, because this is exactly the kind of Chinese plug-in hybrid SUV that has been gaining ground in our market. (A quick note for readers new to Portugal: ISV is the one-off vehicle registration tax, and it treats low-emission plug-in hybrids far more kindly than diesels.)
Denza B5 specs: 536 hp and a motor on each axle
At the heart of the B5 is what Denza calls the DMO (Dual-Mode Off-road) system, a plug-in hybrid architecture designed from scratch for the rough stuff. The base is a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine with 148 hp, mounted longitudinally, joined by two electric motors — one front, one rear.
- Petrol engine: 1.5 turbo, 4-cylinder, 148 hp
- Front electric motor: 268 hp
- Rear electric motor: 383 hp
- Combined output: 536 hp and 760 Nm
- 0-100 km/h: 4.8 s (Elegance) / 5.0 s (Ultimate)
- Top speed: 180 km/h
- Kerb weight: 2,940 kg (Elegance) / 3,035 kg (Ultimate)
What the numbers mean: a near-three-tonne off-roader that hits 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds. That's sports-SUV pace in a body built for trails. And unlike a diesel Defender, the B5 can run in near silence day to day.
Electric range and charging: 90 km on battery alone
The battery is a 31.8 kWh Blade unit — the same LFP technology BYD uses in its EVs. It delivers up to 90 km (56 miles WLTP) in pure electric mode, enough for most commutes without burning a drop of fuel. For reference, that's roughly double the electric range of the Defender P300e.
When it's time to charge, the B5 accepts 100 kW on DC, taking the battery from 30 to 80% in about 16 minutes. At home, an 11 kW charger tops it up fully (15 to 100%) in around 3 hours. With the battery depleted, the petrol engine alone manages a modest 26.4 mpg (roughly 9 l/100 km); on the combined cycle Denza quotes 68.9 mpg and just 30 g/km of CO2. That emissions figure is what makes the car fiscally interesting in Portugal.
Off-road ability: ladder-frame chassis and DiSus-P suspension
This is where the B5 parts ways with tarmac SUVs. The structure is a ladder-frame chassis, as hardcore off-roaders demand, with locking differentials front and rear and a central system that distributes torque 30 times faster than a conventional mechanical differential. There are 16 driving modes, including sand, mud, snow and ruts.
The Ultimate trim adds DiSus-P hydraulic suspension, with 20 sensors continuously adjusting damping and monitoring steering angle, pedal position, tyre pressure and temperature. This version raises ground clearance to 310 mm — 20 mm more than a Defender — with 140 mm of total ride-height adjustment. The angles show the ambition:
| Specification | Elegance | Ultimate |
|---|---|---|
| Ground clearance | 300 mm | up to 310 mm |
| Approach angle | 34° | 39° |
| Departure angle | 29° | 34° |
| Suspension | Double-wishbone | DiSus-P hydraulic |
One practical detail sets it apart: the turning circle is 11.8 metres, tighter than the Defender 110's 12.8 metres. On an off-roader this size, that matters on narrow trails and tight manoeuvres.
Denza B5 vs Land Rover Defender: where the differences lie
The Defender comparison is no accident — it's the declared target. Stella Li, BYD's executive vice president, was blunt: "premium customers in Europe love SUVs, so we're confident that the Denza B5 will be a huge hit here."
In the UK, the B5 starts at £69,500, against roughly £72,000 for the Defender 110 P300e (the plug-in hybrid). So more electric capability and more power for less money. The trade-off? The British press is honest: What Car? gave it 3 out of 5 stars and flagged the on-road behaviour, with pitching under braking and body lean in corners that lack a Defender's polish. The B5 impresses on numbers and technology; it still lacks the dynamic finesse of the established names.
Inside: four screens, a fridge and Devialet audio
Inside, the B5 plays the tech-overload card. The dashboard centres on a 15.6-inch screen with Google built in — native Maps, Assistant and Play Store — flanked by a 12.3-inch digital cluster, a passenger screen and a head-up display. Sound comes from a Devialet system with up to 18 speakers.
The comfort list runs long: a fridge in the centre console, massaging seats with heating and ventilation, wireless chargers, a karaoke function and 11 airbags as standard. The boot holds 475 litres, expanding to around 1,096 litres with the seats folded. The Elegance is trimmed in leather; the Ultimate steps up to Nappa leather, 20-inch wheels and the 18-speaker audio.
Frequently Asked Questions
Denza hasn't confirmed a Portuguese price yet — the launch is British, where the B5 (Bao 5) costs between £69,500 and £78,880 (Elegance and Ultimate trims). At a straight conversion that lands around €81,000 to €92,000, but the final figure will depend on ISV and how the brand positions the car. As a plug-in hybrid emitting just 30 g/km of CO2, it should attract far lower ISV than a diesel off-roader.
There's no confirmed Portuguese date yet. The UK is the beachhead, with order books opening from mid-2026 and first deliveries before year-end. The rest of Europe (including Germany and presumably Portugal) follows in a second phase with no announced timeline. BYD, Denza's parent brand, is already well established in Portugal, which should smooth the model's arrival.
The B5 uses a 31.8 kWh BYD Blade LFP battery delivering up to 90 km (56 miles WLTP) on electric power alone — roughly double the electric range of the Land Rover Defender P300e. That's enough for most daily commutes without burning fuel. On the combined cycle Denza quotes 68.9 mpg (about 4 l/100 km) and 30 g/km of CO2.
On DC fast charging at up to 100 kW, the battery goes from 30 to 80% in about 16 minutes. At home, an 11 kW AC charger tops it up fully (15 to 100%) in around 3 hours. For anyone doing short weekday trips, an overnight charge easily covers the 90 km of electric range.
In the UK the B5 starts at £69,500 against roughly £72,000 for the Defender 110 P300e, offering more power (536 hp) and double the electric range for less money. The trade-off is polish: What Car? gave it 3 out of 5 stars, flagging body lean and pitch under braking that still trail the Defender. In Portugal, the low emissions figure (30 g/km) strengthens the cost case, especially as a company car.
Denza B5 price Portugal: when it arrives and what it will cost
The question that matters: when does the Denza B5 arrive in Portugal, and for how much? The honest answer is that Denza hasn't confirmed a price or date for the Continental market — the launch is British, with the rest of Europe (Germany, and presumably Portugal) coming later. At a straight conversion, the UK figures (£69,500 to £78,880) land around €81,000 to €92,000, but the final Portuguese price will depend on ISV and how the brand positions the car.
And this is where the B5 has an ace up its sleeve. As a plug-in hybrid with 30 g/km of CO2 and about 90 km of electric range, it slots into the more favourable tax treatment Portugal reserves for plug-in hybrids — far lighter on ISV than a diesel Defender, and advantageous as a company car. For anyone who does short weekday trips and needs off-road ability at the weekend, the maths could add up.
BYD is already well established in Portugal, and Denza is the next piece of the plan — with the D9 van and Z9 GT also heading to Europe. If the B5 keeps the pricing logic it showed in the UK, the next announcements are worth watching: a 536 hp plug-in hybrid off-roader for less than a Defender is, at the very least, a proposition this segment was missing.