Denza B5 vs Alfa Romeo Stelvio

What's the difference?

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.

The Alfa Romeo Stelvio Veloce is the car you get when you want a sports car but happen to have a kid or two. Its ride comfort is on the lower end but it has heaps of power and enough features that it manages to slide into its price tag without feeling too cheeky. The back seat’s size will limit this to smaller families, though. And I would prefer to see better tech at this grade level, so this gets a 7.1/10 from me.

My son didn’t spend much time in this one but he liked the red paintwork. My mum, however, loved the power and sexy packaging. She gives it an 8/10.

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.

While the Veloce has had a facelift, the changes are so minor I would dare to ask, why bother?

The daytime running light signature has been tweaked but only die-hard Stelvio fans will notice it. I do like the larger 12.3-inch digital instrument display but surprisingly the multimedia screen remains on the smaller side at 8.8 inches.

Otherwise, there’s no denying the Veloce looks like an Alfa Romeo, staying true to its Italian heritage. It’s solid, with a 1903mm wide stance, but so robust that it moves away from words like 'sleek' or 'sexy'.

The black grille, 20-inch alloy wheels and red brake calipers make it look sports car mean and hint at what's under the bonnet.

The interior looks well made and it's got a bat cave element with the black headliner and panoramic sunroof. There's a plethora of soft touchpoints throughout and the circular air-vents found in both rows add some flair.

Overall, though, the interior is understated and if you’re looking for something as flashy as the exterior, you may be disappointed.

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 front row benefits the most in terms of space and features. I have stacks of headroom and legroom in the front seat and didn’t feel like I was too close to my passenger this week.

I like the comfortable electric seats and the fact you can adjust the side bolsters and under-thigh support.

Individual storage options are on the slim side throughout the car and it was something my mum and I found annoying on our road trip because there aren’t a lot of spots to put your little items up front. Think snacks, sunglasses, lip balm etc.

The two cupholders are really drink bottle holders because they’re too large to fit a small takeaway cup without popping the lid off but I like the large storage bins in each front door.

It's a tight squeeze in the back seat for my 168cm (5'6") height and that’s behind my driving position! It could feel a tad cramped back there for those with longer legs.

It’s also a bit awkward getting in and out of the back seat because of the large wheel arches.

The storage bins in the doors are too small to hold a drink bottle but the middle armrest has two cupholders and a phone holder.

Charging options are fantastic up front with two USB-A ports, one USB-C port, a 12-volt socket and a wireless charging pad to choose from. You even get an 'aux' jack, too.

The amenities in the back seat are okay and you get a couple of net map pockets, reading lights, a USB-A and C port, as well as directional air vents.

This Alfa has a no-nonsense approach with the other tech, though. I usually don’t mind that but the touchscreen multimedia system is a little too no-nonsense for this spec-level.

I found it to be laggy and too small. It also regularly turned itself off and rebooted. This happened a few times while needing satellite navigation directions, which was annoying.

Also on the sat nav, you can’t search for a general name of something, like a business, you have to input an address which meant using my iPhone anyway. It’s great that you get wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, though.

The digital instrument panel looks upmarket but isn’t properly customisable and I was disappointed the ambient lighting package only meant that there are lights in the footwells and a tiny overhead light. Adding some extra lighting would have transformed the night-time driving experience.

The boot is the highlight for me because you get a decent capacity at 499L. The load space is level and I like the back row's 40/20/40 split-fold. We had plenty of room on our road trip for luggage and shopping.

You get a temporary spare tyre and a retractable cargo blind. The latter is stiff enough to double as a shelf which is handy and a handsfree powered tailgate comes standard, as well.

There are three models for the Stelvio and ours is the mid-spec Veloce grade, which will cost you $82,950, before on-road costs. The pricing should make it competitive compared to its rivals but the features list isn’t as robust as it could be.

The interior gets most of the big-ticket items with leather upholstered sports front seats, extended leather trim on the doors and dashboard as well as a heated steering wheel.

Both front seats are electric with six-way power adjustment, powered side bolsters and four-way adjustable lumbar support. They also feature a heat function and extendable under-thigh support.

The luxury items continue with the panoramic sunroof, real aluminium accents throughout and a premium Harman Kardon sound system that boasts 14 speakers.

Other standard features include full LED adaptive 'Matrix' headlights, aluminium sports pedals, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry, push-button start and a handsfree powered tailgate.

It's the technology that lets the Stelvio down but I'll go into that later.

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.

The Veloce has a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine that gives a maximum power output of 206kW and 400Nm of torque. It’s an all-wheel drive and has an eight-speed auto transmission which is very smooth. 

Checking out the specs I didn’t think this would be as powerful as it is. But it’s really fun when you need to put your foot down! I mean, it can go from 0-100km/h in just 5.7 seconds.

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 official combined cycle fuel economy figure is 7.0L/100km and my real-world usage came to 8.4L/100km.

I drove our test model hard but did A LOT of open road driving - 2051km to be exact - so I was happy with the average but I would expect it to be higher in the city.

Based on the official combined cycle number and 64L fuel tank, you theoretically should be able to get a driving range of around 914km but my real-world tests see that figure come in closer to 700km.

Alfa Romeo recommends a minimum 95 RON petrol be used for the Stelvio.

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 Veloce is downright fun to drive because of how damn responsive it is. There is plenty of power, so much so, that you’ll look forward to hitting the open road. 

The sporty steering makes for sharp handling and the car moves decisively. I have felt confident all week that it would do what I wanted it to do. It's wide stance also makes it hug the road like an old friend.

However, the suspension is also sporty, aka firm! The padded seats help soften the impact when you hit a bump but you’ll still know it when you hit one. There's also a resonating 'ker-thump' in the cabin, in case you didn't feel it.

The big thing that marred the driving experience for me, at least for a longer trip, is how loud road and wind noise are at higher speeds. It’s loud enough that you need to raise your voice to talk, which I didn’t enjoy.

The Veloce earns back points with how easy it is to park and it handles those stupidly small hotel car parks extremely well.

I don't rate the reversing camera, though. The quality of the image is terrible for this grade-level.

The Stelvio has most of the major items that I like to see on a family car and the standard safety features include adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, driver attention monitor, traffic sign recognition, lane keeping aids, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, a reversing camera, daytime-running lights, front and rear parking sensors, and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

It's important to note though that the safety systems only scored a 60 per cent with ANCAP.

It has autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and car detection and is operational from 7.0 - 200km/h.

The Veloce has a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating but it was done ages ago in 2017, which means it will expire this December. It also only has six airbags, which is low for a family car but the curtain airbags cover the back row.

There are ISOFIX child seat mounts on the outboard rear seats and three top tethers in the second row but two seats will fit best.

You can just squeeze a 0-4 rearward facing child seat in but it will encroach on front passenger comfort.

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.

The ongoing costs aren’t too shabby on the Stelvio because it comes with a five-year/unlimited km warranty and you also get five years roadside assistance.

It’s a 24/7 complimentary service that covers a host of items but check out the terms and conditions for more information.

There’s capped priced servicing for five years or up to 75,000km, whichever occurs first.

Services cost an average of $573, which is competitive for the class and servicing intervals are good at every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first.