Denza ready to fight LandCruiser and Patrol!

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Andrew Chesterton

Contributing Journalist

2 min read

BYD premium brand Denza says its B5 and B8 rugged SUVs will take the fight to the Toyota LandCruiser Prado, the LC300 and the Nissan Patrol, insisting the Chinese brand has the best technology and powertrains in the world.

Asked if Denza was capable of taking on the 4WD household names in Australia, the company's local Chief Operating Officer, Mark Harland replied simply: "I know we can".

"It's going to be one customer at a time," he says. "My confidence comes from doing extensive driving of the cars – the B5 and B8.

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"We know we deliver on the luxury. We know we deliver on off-road capability. And the best technology in the world is coming out of China right now, right?

"So the things that I know that are important to Australians, we deliver on that."

The B5 (from $74,990) and B8 (from $91,000) both occupy an interesting space, in which they will target both mainstream players (Toyota and Nissan), as well as premium offerings, like from Lexus.

And that, Mr Harland says, only increases Denza's opportunity Down Under, with the executive suggesting "there are a lot of brands that we can have a crack at".

"I also see the market opportunity because at that price point, I think it's just a matter of getting on people's radars and getting them in for a drive," he says.

"I think that's what's going to be the determining factor, and our powertrain. No one else really has that powertrain. So that's the market opportunity.

"We've got luxury, we've got the tech, and we've got a powertrain that no one else is really delivering on right now."

Photo of Andrew Chesterton
Andrew Chesterton

Contributing Journalist

Andrew Chesterton should probably hate cars. From his hail-damaged Camira that looked like it had spent a hard life parked at the end of Tiger Woods' personal driving range, to the Nissan Pulsar Reebok that shook like it was possessed by a particularly mean-spirited demon every time he dared push past 40km/h, his personal car history isn't exactly littered with gold. But that seemingly endless procession of rust-savaged hate machines taught him something even more important; that cars are more than a collection of nuts, bolts and petrol. They're your ticket to freedom, a way to unlock incredible experiences, rolling invitations to incredible adventures. They have soul. And so, somehow, the car bug still bit. And it bit hard. When "Chesto" started his journalism career with News Ltd's Sunday and Daily Telegraph newspapers, he covered just about everything, from business to real estate, courts to crime, before settling into state political reporting at NSW Parliament House. But the automotive world's siren song soon sounded again, and he begged anyone who would listen for the opportunity to write about cars. Eventually they listened, and his career since has seen him filing car news, reviews and features for TopGear, Wheels, Motor and, of course, CarsGuide, as well as many, many others. More than a decade later, and the car bug is yet to relinquish its toothy grip. And if you ask Chesto, he thinks it never will. Note: The author, Andrew Chesterton, is a co-owner of Smart As Media, a content agency and media distribution service with a number automotive brands among its clients. When producing content for CarsGuide, he does so in accordance with the CarsGuide Editorial Guidelines and Code of Ethics, and the views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.
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