Jaecoo J8 vs Denza B5

What's the difference?

The Jaecoo J8 is an odd car.

It’s hard to place exactly where it sits in the market. It’s premium, but very affordable. It's very big but only has five seats. And it’s petrol only, at least for now, in a world that is obsessed with hybrid or electric power.

You’ve probably never heard of Jaecoo. That’s alright it’s only new, but it’s a fresh Chinese brand with big ambitions. A more accurate description is it’s Chery’s premium sub-brand.

And the J8 is its new flagship SUV that has found a little niche that's been left in Australia’s overflowing SUV segment.

It’s about the same size as the Kia Sorento or Hyundai Santa Fe family SUVs, but the J8 is five seats only and ditches the third row for a big boot.

The interior wouldn’t look out of place if it had a three-pointed star on the bonnet but the price tag will have you thinking you can buy two for the price of one.

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.