Denza B5 vs Jaguar XF

What's the difference?

The Denza B5 Leopard PHEV is the latest in China’s plug-in hybrid invasion of Australia.

Denza is a premium sub-brand of BYD and the B5 is a luxury body-on-frame 4WD wagon with five seats, 16 drive modes, a low-range gear-set on the rear axle, and front and rear diff locks.

It has a packed standard features list, a premium-style interior, about 100km electric-only driving range, and real off-road adventure potential.

But how does this plush plug-in perform off-road?

Read on.

If a Jaguar owner fell through a wormhole from 2003, the company they bought their car from would be   almost unrecognisable. Back then, it was a bewildering mess making an odd assortment of cars, yet to emerge into the light after Ford's confused and debilitating period of ownership. 

Why 2003? Fifteen years is a nice round number and pre-dates the arrival of the brand-saving XF.

Today, Jaguar has three SUVs, and the gorgeous F-Type, the XE, its second-generation XF and the big XJ. It has three SUVs (the F-Pace, E-Pace and I-Pace) because without them Jaguar would be a niche manufacturer before long, because big sedans, formerly the brand's trademark, are continuing their gentle decline. Oddly enough, one of the market segments contracting even faster than sedans is wagons. 

So what better time to launch into a draining pool from the three-metre board than now? Jaguar has bravely taken that risk and brought us the puzzlingly named XF Sportbrake.