Denza B8: The brand’s first PHEV for Malaysia, offers over 900km of range

The premium sub-brand of BYD, Denza has confirmed that the Denza B8 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) will be launched in Malaysia soon. While the launch date is still a secret for the time being, the company has opened up the registration of interest on Denza Malaysia’s official website for the SUV, which will become the first Denza/BYD PHEV model in Malaysia.

Over in China, the Denza B8 is known as the Fangchengbao Bao 8. However, BYD has decided to release Fangchengbao products through Denza in markets outside of China, which is why the SUV has been rebranded for international release.

Denza B8 Quick Specs

Denza Malaysia has yet to reveal the full specifications for the Denza B8 variants that will be available here. The only confirmed details we have is that Malaysian customers can obtain the B8 in Dawn Gold, Eclipse Black, or Nebula Silver as its exterior colourway, while they can choose between Jasper Brown and Onyx Black for the SUV’s interior colour.

So, we’re going to refer to the Australian specs for now. Physically, the B8 is around 5.2m long, 2m wide, and 1.9m tall with a wheelbase of 2.9m, which means it is slightly longer and taller than a Range Rover but not as wide.

Together with a kerb weight of 3,290kg, Denza claimed that the B8 has a maximum unladen ground clearance of 310 mm and a maximum wading depth of 890mm. Over in Australia, the B8 is available with 6 and 7-seater configurations, which also determine the SUV’s maximum boot capacity of 902L and 920L, respectively.

At the heart of B8 is BYD’s Dual Mode Off-road (DMO) powertrain, which features a combination of a 145kW (195hp) 2.0L turbocharged engine, a 200kW (268hp) front electric motor, and a 300kW (402hp) rear electric motor.

Altogether, owners have access to a maximum power output of 425kW (570hp) and 760Nm of torque. Denza claimed that the B8 can hit 0 to 100km/h in just 4.8 seconds, while it also has a top speed of 180km/h and a 3.5-tonne braked towing capacity.

In terms of energy, the B8 relies on a 36.9kWh BYD Blade LFP battery together with a 91L fuel tank. According to the Australian specs sheet, the B8 has a WLTP-rated pure electric range of 100km and a 905km combined range.

Speaking about battery, the Australian version comes with 11kW AC charging and 6.6kW Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) capability, while it can also support a DC charging speed of 120kW. Since Australia is a right-hand drive (RHD) market, we expect this setup to be retained in Malaysia.

Meanwhile, the B8 also features the off-road-oriented DiSus-P active hydraulic suspension system. Equipped with a double wishbone suspension setup on the front and back, the SUV also comes standard with 20-inch wheels.

Other notable features that are available on the B8 including 16 driving modes, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 17.3-inch infotainment display, an 800W 18-speaker sound system from Devialet, soft close doors, electric sunroof with motorised sunshade, heads-up display, ventilation and massage features for 1st and 2nd row seats, Child Presence Detection sensor, and in-car refrigerator that can also act as a hotbox.

Safety-wise, occupants within the SUV are protected by 13 airbags, while the B8 also has tons of features inside its Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) suite. The list includes Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC), Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), Blind Spot Detection (BSD), Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Rear Cross Traffic Braking (RCTB), and many more.