The Denza B5 (pictured) represents a new frontier for the premium PHEV market.
Super luxury
Long touted as the ideal solution for Australians wary of embracing electric cars because of range anxiety, PHEVs finally gained some serious traction last year.
PHEV sales went up 130.9 per cent in 2025, the strongest growth of any drivetrain.
“Super hybrids didn’t create the 2025 PHEV growth story,” Evans says. “But they amplified it – by making PHEVs feel like a premium, electric-first class of their own, especially in the SUV market.
“Super hybrids have made PHEVs feel desirable.”
BYD is hoping the introduction of its luxury brand, Denza, into Australia will push the category into new territory. As the leading manufacturer that predominantly drove the 2025 growth story with the country’s top two selling PHEVs, BYD’s move into the luxury space is a big step forward.
The Denza B5 and B8 are high-spec 4WD super hybrids offering serious off-road capability, comfort and fuel efficiency, alongside luxury features such as a car refrigerator and hotbox, massaging leather seats, double-layer acoustic glass and premium sound systems.
Their introduction is important, Evans says. “Not everyone wants a sub-$50k hybrid or EV,” he says. “There is a substantial premium SUV buyer that wants electrification benefits without stepping down on size, capability or presence.
“In our view, the Denza B5 and B8 sit at the top of the tree in the emerging super-hybrid segment: premium, highly capable SUVs that compete on technology, performance and lifestyle suitability, not just price.”
Shifting ideas
Part of the appeal of luxury super hybrids may be linked to shifting ideas about what kind of car constitutes a status symbol, Evans says. “Historically, it was ‘big badge, big engine’. Increasingly it is ‘big capability, big tech, smarter drivetrain’.”
However, their biggest appeal is that they are just so functional.
“Some buyers like that a luxury super hybrid signals modernity and efficiency, but in our experience the dominant driver remains functionality: it has to work for Australian conditions and the way families actually use these vehicles.”
Australia is an ideal market for super hybrids because we do long road trips, we tow and we expect SUVs to handle real-world conditions, Evans says. “A super hybrid fits that reality: it offers an EV-like experience for daily driving, without requiring buyers to restructure how they travel.”
Premium electrified SUVs such as the Denzas represent the next phase of the evolving EV market, Evans says. “Buyers want capability and comfort plus electrification.”
Denza is redefining the PHEV category, blending elite engineering with super-hybrid efficiency. The Denza B5 (from $74,990*) offers a 400kW power-punch and a 3-tonne towing capacity, making it the definitive five-seat disruptor for the modern professional. For those requiring more presence, the Denza B8 (from $91,000*) elevates the experience with up to seven seats, 425kW of output and a 3.5-tonne towing capability. Find out more at denza.com/au.
*Excludes on-road costs.
