Denza B8 4×4 Premium: “To be the man, you gotta beat the man”

“To be the man, you gotta beat the man.” Those iconic words are from the stylin’, proflin’, limousine-riding, jet-flying, kiss-stealing, wheelin’-dealin’ son-of-a-gun, 16-time world heavyweight champion “Nature Boy” Ric Flair. 

When it comes to full-size luxury SUVs in the Philippines, I don’t even have to mention which one it is that’s the “man” (even though its shorthand still sounds like a fat milking cow to me). All you need to know is that, quite like Space Mountain, it’s the oldest ride with the longest line.

Is it excess demand? Maybe. Is it supply chain issues? That’s rich coming from the world’s largest producer of automobiles. Whatever the case, consumer interest has seemingly opened up the market for some stiff competition in this segment from brands seemingly coming from every direction.

Enter the B8 Premium: Denza’s full-size, plug-in hybrid luxury SUV.

If you don’t know what a Denza is, don’t worry; neither did I for a while, nor did the majority of people I spoke to while I had the car for an entire week. Be that as it may, everyone should definitely put some respect on the name. Because as BYD’s luxury subsidiary focusing on plug-in hybrid vehicles, the people over at Shenzhen are not messing around.

And it truly shows with the way they’ve built the B8. Disregard the way its exterior looks like a facsimile of your typical luxury off-road SUV. How many other ways can you really design an SUV’s silhouette anyway? There’s still something about the way it was designed that commands attention. Those long looks from the people I drove past can’t lie.

It’s authoritative but not imposing. It appears rugged but doesn’t seem out of place beside an old manor house. While you might say something similar about a Range Rover or ol’ Elsie–let’s face it, it’s not exactly what you’d consider “ground-breaking” design– its exterior is where any and all similarities end.

Get inside the B8, and you’ll know you’ve never had it this good. 

As a driver, the amount of controls that you are afforded is insane–maybe even to a fault. I fly short-to-medium-range, narrow-body, twin-engine jets as a side-hustle and even I got overwhelmed by the amount of buttons on the steering wheel and center console, let alone the dozens of pages of settings on the 17.3” ultra-HD center screen. This, I believe, will drive many boomers and their checkbooks away. 

Which is a shame because you don’t need to get a type-certificate to operate the B8. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Like a jet fresh out of Toulouse (or Tianjin), the vehicle is automated to the teeth.

So much so that you won’t even need to press anything to get in the car and get it going. Just come near the vehicle with the key in tow or tap its NFC card on the side mirror and its flush door handles spring up. Step inside and the shifter instantly rises up, put the shifter to drive and you’re off to the races.

And race it does. Denza claims the B8’s dual permanent magnet synchronous motor does a 0-100 time of 4.8 seconds with no published top speed. I believe it to be capped at 187 km/h (don’t ask me how I know that). Even at high speed, I’m happy to report that the B8 remains firmly planted.

At more civilized speeds, navigating the urban jungle of Metro Manila with it despite its large frame (5,195 x 1994 mm) is also a breeze thanks to the B8’s exceptionally intuitive 360° View Monitor.

I particularly appreciated the fact that when faced with close obstacles, the vehicle was able to give the specific distance in centimeters rather than just beeping at me incessantly like other vehicles typically do. Yes, I get that there’s an obstacle. How far away is it exactly? The Denza absolutely delivers on that.

Obstacles in the dark are also not a problem when you’re using the B8 because of the Night Vision System that comes standard. While I initially dismissed it as some sort of party trick when I first encountered it passing through an unlit section of the Skyway, I quickly realized how much of a godsend it would be to use on our dark, budget-deprived rural highways as well as out in the wilderness.

And when you are out in the boondocks somewhere, that’s where the car’s real pièce de résistance comes to life: its suspension, more specifically its DiSus-P Body Control System. While I didn’t get the pleasure of putting it to the test out in the dirt, I was able to tinker with its suspension settings a fair bit.

You can easily adjust the B8’s ride height and stiffness to match the type of road condition or even just to your liking with a tap on the center screen, and it will adjust itself in real time. I should know; I may or may not be proud to say that I might have spent the majority of my time with the B8 experimenting with it like I was Eddie Guerrero in a low-rider.

However, Latino Heat’s whip pales in comparison to the amount of equipment you get inside on the B8. Hooked up to the infotainment screen I tinkered endlessly with were 18 Devialet speakers mounted from roof to floor and even on the headrests, delivering 800-watts of power. 

The cabin is dressed in a variety of different materials, not one of which felt cheap or flimsy. All rows of the B8 are electronically adjustable, with the two back rows folding fully flat should you decide to turn yours into a delivery van. The B8 even has a refrigerator or hotbox (not that kind) in the center, which I discovered to be very well insulated.

With all that kit, you’d expect it to cost you an arm and a leg to own. But just like how most Chinese automakers have been showing up more established brands from elsewhere lately, you’d be pleased (or displeased) to know it actually still comes out suspiciously cheaper. 

The Denza B8 starts at Php 4,998,000 with the Premium at Php 5,398,000, still in with a shout to its closest competitors hailing from Japan. 

If it hasn’t already been abundantly obvious by the way I’ve gushed over it, I certainly have high hopes for the Denza B8. But that’s me; I look for value wherever I can find it. I’ve never been conscious about brands or status symbols.

Denza itself–even with its familial ties with BYD–still has a lot to prove considering it has only been in the country for less than a year, which is why I can imagine people would find it hard to justify purchasing anything from them. But if there was ever a right way of introducing yourself to a market, this was certainly it, and they have their work cut out for them.

So suffice it to say the “King of the SUVs” is still safe for the foreseeable future. But if this initial offering is anything to go by, I would be shaking in my boots if I were him. The Denza B8 is the real deal. 

2026 Denza B8 4X4 Premium | Key Information

Motor	2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged Gasoline engine / (2x) Permanent magnet synchronous motor
Output	570 horsepower, 760 Nm
Drivetrain	AWD
Seating Capacity	6 (including driver)
Price	Php 5,398,000 (as of August 2026)
Pros	Premium driving experience, good price, oodles of features.
Cons	Be prepared to explain to people what a Denza is, and why you bought one.