Denza B5

FIRST DRIVE We get an early taste of electric SUV from BYD-owned brand that is set to take on premium rivals

- Alex Goy

DENZA is coming to the UK this year, and it's bringing an SUV with it. The B5 is setting its sights on the Land Rover Defender, and what the brand lacks in heritage, it makes up for in power and toys. Denza is part of the BYD stable, and has its eyes firmly set on the likes of BMW, Porsche, Mercedes, Audi and co, which means its products will come with plush materials, and smart tech, which - it hopes - will make the top end of the market a little nervous. The brand will launch in Europe with the Z9 GT shooting brake, the D9 people carrier and this B5 SUV - segments that Denza reckons it can excel in, and that will appeal to European customers.

The B5 comes with a hybrid powertrain, teaming a 1.5-litre turbocharged motor with a 31.8kWh battery and a pair of electric motors. The whole system kicks out a combined 677bhp and 761Nm, and will get you from 0-62mph in 4.8 seconds before heading on to 112mph. It can even manage 62 miles on EV power alone (according to Chinese testing); that figure may change once the car has been assessed under Europe's WLTP tests.

From afar the B5 does look a little like JLR's finest, but up close it's an angrier, more American affair than the restrained lines of a Defender. Its nose and rear have shades of Ford Bronco about them, although that's no bad thing.