Aston Martin DBX vs Denza B5

What's the difference?

As with all Aston Martins the DBX is a seriously beautiful car with that high-end exotic but restrained exterior styling for which the brand is known. As with all Astons, too, the busy interior design may put some minimalism fans off and those high-placed shifting buttons pose a functionality problem.

As an SUV the DBX is spacious and practical. You could use this daily as a family car. I did and found it easy to adapt to.

The driving experience left me disappointed. I didn’t feel the same close connection with the DBX while driving that I have had with other super SUVs, such as the Lamborghini Urus and more affordable models offered by Porsche and Mercedes-AMG.

But then, you see those other cars everywhere, unlike the DBX which is a rare and beautiful creature, despite the flaws.

Denza has made a huge statement with the B5 and for the most part the hype is deserved. It packs an incredible amount of luxury and tech inside and out which is even more surprising given the impressive asking price.

There are only a few flaws like the busy ride, over-the-top body roll and the occasional infotainment quirk. Hopefully these can be fixed with future over-the-air software updates.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

I'm not one to name drop but I was having a chin wag with Marek, that's Marek Reichman, Aston Martin's Vice President and Chief Creative Officer, the fellow who has designed every Aston from the past 15 years, that Marek. Anyway, before the DBX came out he told me any SUV he designed would be unmistakably an Aston Martin.

I think he nailed it. The gaping Aston Martin grille is unmistakably the same as the DB11's and the tailgate, which although is the back hatch to a large SUV, is absolutely the same as the rear end of the Vantage.

Everything in between has all the family hallmarks. There are those oval headlights and the huge beak of a bonnet, the chiselled side panels with wheel arches that push up towards the sky and those rear haunches.

Not a fan of minimalist design? Then you'll love the DBX's cabin and its dashboard cluttered with dials, buttons, and switches.

It's like the cockpit of a plane and it's a very Aston Martin thing – just look at the layout of the DB5 from the 1960s, it's a mess, a beautiful mess though. The same goes for current models such as the DB11, DBS and Vantage.

Seriously, if there was one area where Marek may have decided not to make the DBX unmistakably Aston Martin, I wish it had been the interior.

Still, I think the DBX has the best cabin design of any current Aston, with its large media screen built into the centre console and more modern styling.

But regardless of what it looks like the feel of the materials is outstanding. There's a thick leather coating on just about every surface, apart from those which are solid, cold metal, like the paddle shifters and door handles.

It's a plush, sporty place, like Batman's suit only it smells a lot nicer.

The DBX is a large SUV at 5039mm long, 2220mm wide with the mirrors unfurled and 1680mm tall. Yep, this thing fills up an entire space in a car park.

The DBX comes in a choice of 53 colours. Yes, fifty three.  There's the 'Onyx Black' my test car wore, but also 'Royal Indigo', 'Supernova Red' and 'Kermit Green.'

It’s worth calling out straight away that the Denza B5 is essentially an SUV version of the BYD Shark 6 as the two share underpinnings, but it’s much more luxurious and blingy.

Externally it has a big, boxy and bluff design that helps it stand out on the road. It looks even tougher when the suspension is in its lifted mode.

I particularly like the front fascia with the big headlights and the prominent Denza badge on the grille, but there are some strange body creases around the side.

While the boxy looks make the B5 stand out, it’s not necessarily unique. There are elements that are reminiscent of the Land Rover Defender, plus many angles look similar to the GWM Tank 300.

Inside is where the luxe is dialled to the max. There are so many soft touches around the cabin that it makes a lovely place to spend time.

Additionally there is a lot of high-quality physical switchgear which is surprising given how prominent the large 15.6-inch central touchscreen is.

Lastly, I like how substantial many of the finishes are. There are large grab handles on either side of the dashboard which you do need to use to hoist yourself into the cabin, plus chunky interior door handle pulls that are satisfying to use.

Until the DBX came along the most practical Aston Martin was the five-door, four-seater Rapide which had a huge rear hatch and a boot big enough to swallow an entire matching five-piece luggage set – I saw it with my very own eyes.

Now there's the DBX which seats five (well, four comfortably, because nobody wants to be in the middle) and has a boot with a luggage capacity of 491 litres under the leather cargo cover.

As you can see it fit our three-piece CarsGuide luggage set, and I also used it to pick up some compost – very likely the first time anybody has done this to a DBX ever in Australia, and probably the last.

Cabin storage is impressive. The floating centre console is suspended like a hammock and under it is a huge bunk for a phone, wallet, and small bags. The split-opening armrest houses a large box, too.

The door pockets are on the small side but there are two cupholders up front and another two in the fold-down armrest in the second row.

Talking of rows, there's no third row. The DBX comes as a two-row, five-seater only.

It’s a roomy second row, with more than enough space for me at 191cm (6'3") tall to sit behind my driving position and headroom is excellent, too.

Many Chinese cars have lots of bling but lack actual substance when it comes to comfort and usability. This is where the Denza differs.

Take the driver’s seat, for example. In a number of Chinese cars they look plush and comfy, but in reality they are firm after longer drives and lack adjustability.

The B5’s driver’s seat, however, is very comfortable, offering almost limitless adjustment, plus heating, ventilation and even a massage function as standard. The latter is great for longer road trips.

Ahead of the driver the steering wheel has plenty of adjustment, allowing people of different heights and statures to get comfortable behind the wheel. There are also lots of physical buttons and switches that have a satisfying click when pressed.

The digital instrument cluster is high-resolution and clear, and there's a number of different informative pages that you can cycle through. It’s nice to have this level of customisation.

Moving across, the aforementioned 15.6-inch touchscreen multimedia system dominates the dashboard. If you’re familiar with the user interface in other BYD vehicles, it’s virtually identical in the B5.

It’s very easy to navigate around and if you do get lost there are a number of shortcut buttons at the bottom of the screen that can either take you back home or to other key functions.

One of my favourite features about the screen is the swipe-down control centre menu. You can customise it to have key shortcut functions. It’s much better than having to dig through countless submenus.

It’s clear Denza still has a few kinks to iron out with the translations from Chinese to English as some don’t make sense. Denza will likely sort this with future software updates.

As standard there is wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and it takes up the full screen when connected. It’s a stunning set-up, though reaching the far left-hand side of the screen from the driver’s seat can be a little tricky on the move.

As I touched on earlier, there is a lot of physical switchgear around the cabin which is helpful as you don’t need to solely rely on the touchscreen for key functions. The piano key buttons for the drive and EV/HEV modes are particularly handy, plus the rising gear shift lever is premium-feeling.

In terms of storage up front, there are up to two 50W wireless chargers (depending on the variant you opt for) with ventilation, two cupholders with adjustable depths, some shallow storage under the centre console, plus a fridge/hotbox under the centre armrest.

Moving to the second row there is plenty of space for at least two adults to sit comfortably. Pushing it to three may be a little tight with shoulder room, plus the centre seat is raised compared to the outboard ones. It’s worth noting though that there is a flat floor so you don’t need to fight for foot space.

Second-row amenities include chunky grab handles for easy ingress and egress, air vents on the back of the centre console, as well as heated and ventilated outboard seats in the top-spec Leopard trim. It’s properly luxe.

At the back the tailgate is side-hinged which can be problematic if you reverse into a carpark as you need to allow for space for it to open up. It has a soft-close function which is handy as you don’t need to slam it shut.

There’s 470L of boot space with the rear seats upright, expanding to around 1000L when folded. It’s a decent amount of space and is square with a very minimal load lip.

Amenities include a 12V socket, a wide array of hooks and nets, as well as a small storage space under the boot floor for the charging cables.

Lastly the B5 comes with a full-size spare wheel mounted on the tailgate. This is becoming increasingly rare in electrified vehicles and is very handy if you have a puncture.

The 2026 Denza B5 is offered in two trim levels – entry-level and the top-spec Leopard. Pricing for the former is $74,990 before on-road costs, while the latter is $79,990 before on-road costs.

This is very competitive and it undercuts many top-selling rivals like the diesel-powered Toyota Prado and Ford Everest by a significant margin if you want similar levels of specification.

It’s worth noting however, the GWM Tank 300 PHEV, which is the B5’s closest rival in terms of powertrains, is even cheaper at $59,990 drive-away.

As a base, the B5 is loaded with standard equipment. You get 18-inch alloy wheels, adaptive LED headlights, a glass panoramic sunroof, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, 15.6-inch touchscreen multimedia system, 16-speaker Devialet sound system, leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats with a massage function, plus heated outboard rear seats.

If this isn’t enough, the B5 Leopard gets larger 20-inch alloy wheels, adaptive hydraulic suspension, a digital rear-view mirror, a second wireless phone charger, Nappa leather upholstery and ventilated outboard rear seats.

This amount of standard equipment is wild, especially because the asking price is firmly below $100K.

When it came to giving the DBX an engine Aston Martin chose the same 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 that's in the Vantage only they made it more powerful – 25kW more at 405kW (542hp). There's 15Nm more torque as well, at 700Nm.

Shifting through a nine-speed automatic transmission the DBX's 0-100km/h time is 4.5 seconds, which is almost a second slower than the Vantage's 3.6 seconds.

That said, the DBX weighs more than 2.2 tonnes, has a maximum ground clearance of 190mm, can wade rivers to a depth of 500mm and has a braked towing capacity of 2700kg. Oh yeah, and it's all-wheel drive.

That engine is one of the world's best V8s. It's light, compact, efficient and can produce enormous grunt. It's also made by Mercedes-Benz. Yup, it's the same (M177) 4.0-litre V8 found in the Mercedes-AMG C 63 S and a stack of other AMG-badged beasties.

There's just one thing, the V8 in the DBX doesn't sound as good to me as the one in a Mercedes-AMG. Aston's version has a less guttural and breathy exhaust note.

Sure, it still sounds amazing and when pushed hard it screams like Boudica charging into battle, but how often will you drive like that?

Most of the time we're in traffic in the suburbs and city trundling around at 40km/h. But even with the ‘loud’ exhaust mode set the note is still not as deep and brash as the AMG, which sounds delicious even at a standstill.

You probably already know why Aston Martin uses Mercedes-Benz engines. But just in case, it's because the brand with the star has been a part owner since 2013. Aston saves money and in return gets some of the best engines in the world.

Power comes from plug-in hybrid set-up combining dual electric motors (one on each axle) and a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine.

It’s a similar set-up to the BYD Shark 6, but the B5 has more power. Total system outputs are a meaty 400kW and 760Nm, which is good for a claimed 0-100km/h sprint in just 4.8 seconds.

Power is sent to all four wheels and for added peace of mind off-road there are front and rear mechanical diff locks as standard, plus a wide range of drive and terrain modes, including a low-range mode.

Backing this up is a 3000kg braked towing capacity and up to 600kg of payload.

In my fuel test of the DBX I took in open roads and city streets and measured 20.4L/100km at the pump.

On the same test loop the Urus I drove used 15.7L/100km and the Bentley Bentayga consumed 21.1L/100km.

It's not surprising these super SUVs are thirsty, but if you're spending all your time on city roads you can expect the consumption to be even higher.

What is surprising is Aston Martin thinking anyone could really get 12.2L/100km, but then all carmakers tend to claim overly ambitious fuel economy figures.

Just think, your next car after this will probably be electric, so enjoy the petrol while it lasts.

Feeding the electric motors is a 31.8kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) Blade battery which Denza claims to allow the B5 to travel up to 100km on electric power alone, according to NEDC testing.

There’s also vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability with 6.6kW output through the charging port using an adapter. This allows you to use the battery charge to power appliances. It’s handy if you go camping, for example.

The battery can be AC charged at rates up to 11kW or DC fast-charged at rates up to 100kW.

There’s also an 83L fuel tank. Denza claims the B5 has a total range of 975km, according to NEDC testing.

Fuel consumption depends on whether or not you charge up the battery. Denza claims you’ll use 1.9L/100km from 100 to 25 per cent battery charge and 9.5L/100km under 25 per cent battery charge, both according to NEDC testing. Regardless, this is better than similarly sized diesel-powered SUVs.

The DBX is a circa 550 horsepower giant that can reach out and almost touch 300km/h. But testing it on Sydney's roads is like having a champion racehorse in your backyard and your neighbour asking you what it's like to ride.

A racetrack wasn't handy at the time and I'd signed a form saying I'd not put any more than 400km on the clock during its stay with me, which meant having to choose my test loop carefully.

Fortunately, this was before Sydney was plunged into the current COVID lockdown, which makes that 400km now seem vast.

First, the DBX is an SUV anybody could drive, every day. Visibility is great and the ride is fine considering it rolls on 22-inch wheels and wears rubber as wide as some doorways and as thin as my socks (285/40 front and 325/35 rear Pirelli Scorpion Zero). Power delivery is smooth and predictable.

I did drive it every day, doing the shopping, school pick ups, a trip to the garden centre to fill it with plants and (ahem) compost, and it performed exactly as a large SUV should.

A source of frustration was the location of the shifting buttons high on the dashboard. Have a look at the images. Even with my chimpanzee-like long arms I had to stretch to change from Drive to Reverse. And with a not so small turning circle of 12.4m, three-point turns were a bit of an arm workout.

But the bigger frustration was the driver-car connection which didn't feel quite right. A good car-driver connection is essential for any great performance car.

Yes, there wasn't a race circuit where I could get to know the DBX quickly. But a good road, driven often with test cars, reveals a lot, too.

And the DBX didn't feel as good as the Lamborghini Urus, which is not only more comfortable but feels more dynamic and offers a superb connection between the driver and the machine.

The DBX is fast, it's powerful, the huge brakes pull it up quickly (almost violently so, if required) and handling is incredibly good.

It's just that I didn't really feel a part of it much at all. You know, the whole driver and car becoming one, thing. I felt like the third wheel on a date.

That connected feeling has been mastered by Porsche with its SUVs, but I feel the DBX needs more work. It felt unfinished.

I was told at the start that the DBX I was testing was a pre-production vehicle, but I'm sure that doesn't cover the shortcomings in the way it drove.

It's disappointing. I was hoping for better, but I think further development will see that come later.

Behind the wheel the Denza B5 primarily operates as an electric vehicle (EV) first up, meaning it’s largely quiet inside the cabin when driving around normally.

Once the charge starts to drop, the petrol engine typically switches on to top up the battery. It largely acts as a generator and a lot of the time you can’t actually tell whether it’s on or off.

In some cases where you floor the throttle or go up a steep hill, the engine revs can flare and that’s when it makes its presence known in the cabin.

When the battery charge gets down low enough and you gun it, the petrol engine can directly power the front wheels. This is rare though because the car purposefully leaves at least 25 per cent battery charge in reserve.

With 400kW and 760Nm thanks to the combination of the dual electric motors and the 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine, the B5 absolutely hauls. The peppy feel is largely due to the instantaneous torque the electric motors provide.

However, in the standard drive mode there is a noticeable input lag from when you push the accelerator a bit harder and when the car actually accelerates. This is reduced in the sport drive mode.

Despite the juicy outputs, the B5 does feel its weight. When you accelerate hard it pitches back extensively, much like the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. This never failed to make me smile though.

It’s surprising as we only drove the top-spec B5 Leopard on this launch and it comes fitted with the DiSus-P adaptive hydraulic suspension system which has a self-levelling function.

In the bends the B5 gets a considerable amount of body roll regardless of the drive mode. This is common for many Chinese cars as they typically prioritise floaty comfort-oriented tunes over a firmer and more dynamic-feeling ride.

Despite this, once it leans over it’ll comfortably hold and grip, largely thanks to the chunky 275/55 R20 Pirelli Scorpion tyres that come standard on the top-spec Leopard trim.

Like many body-on-frame vehicles, the ride gets busy on harsher roads with more frequent bumps. As a passenger you can get jostled about in the cabin.

The steering, while direct enough, can have a vague and artificial feeling. Depending on the drive mode it either artificially adds or reduces the resistance.

Unlike the related BYD Shark 6, the B5 gets a low-range mode which uses a clutch pack on the rear electric motor to allow for more controlled low-speed crawling, plus front and rear mechanical diff locks. This can make a big difference once the going gets really tough.

Additionally, the DiSus-P hydraulic suspension allows for a total of 140mm of travel. In the highest position there’s a wading depth of up to 790mm.

Lastly in terms of noise, vibration and harshness (NVH), the B5 is a very quiet car to drive. As I mentioned above, the electric-first nature automatically makes this a quiet car.

There is very little road and wind noise. This is surprising as the B5 is essentially a 3.0-tonne box on wheels. It seems Denza has put a lot of effort into sound insulation.

The Denza B5 received a five-star ANCAP safety rating based on testing conducted in 2025.

As standard there are 11 airbags, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring, front and rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, a driver attention monitor, front and rear parking sensors, plus a surround-view camera.

While a number of the active safety systems operate well and only intervene when required, some are intrusive and over the top. The worst offender is the driver attention monitor which struggles to detect your eyes with sunglasses on, plus only requires a brief glance at the touchscreen to get it saying, “Tiredness detected, please take a rest”.

Thankfully you can turn this off using the touchscreen with the handy swipe-down control centre menu, but it needs to be done every time you drive the car.

The DBX is covered by Aston Martin's three-year-unlimited kilometre warranty. Also included is roadside assistance.

Service intervals are every 12 months or 16,000km.

Aston Martin doesn't have have capped price servicing for the DBX nor can owners purchase a maintenance plan for the SUV.

We asked Aston Martin for an estimate of how much owners can expect to pay for servicing over the life of the warranty, but a spokesperson told us, "We are unable to provide an estimate on the cost of servicing over three years."

With Aston Martin unable or unwilling to give us any guidance on servicing costs, maybe there are recent model Aston owners out there who can. Let us know in the comments section below.

Denza B5 owners are covered by a six-year, 150,000km warranty, whereas the high-voltage battery is covered for eight years or 160,000km. Owners also receive three years of roadside assistance.

This warranty length is fairly standard in the mainstream segment, but in the luxury segment it pushes past the current five-year benchmark.

Logbook servicing is required every 12 months or 20,000km, whichever comes first. The first five years of servicing totals $3542, which averages out to just over $700 per service. This does seem like a lot, but in the premium space this is rather competitive, especially once you consider both the electric and combustion components are being serviced.

There are currently seven Denza dealers around Australia and it plans to have a total of 20 by the end of 2026. It’s also planning to allow certain BYD dealers to service Denza cars.