Days after Mercedes-Benz announced its withdrawal from Denza, a Chinese brand co-founded with BYD to focus on the Hong Kong market, the carmaker appears to be expanding its product portfolio. Two new trademarks filed with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) point towards the Denza B5 and Denza B8 as new models for the brand, possibly even indicating a new type of vehicle.
Both are filed under Nice classification 12, for motor vehicles, so there’s no confusing these alphanumeric titles for anything but vehicle names.
New Prefix Suggests New Body Style
Denza has never used the “B” prefix for any of its models, currently using the N prefix for crossovers and SUVs (N7 and N8), the D prefix for MPVs and minivans (D9), and the Z prefix for wagons (Z9 and Z9 GT). The primary body style missing from the Denza lineup at present is a sedan, suggesting the B5 and B8 may fill that missing gap.
As for the size of the two new vehicles, the numerical aspect provides some indication. As the N7 and N8 are midsize vehicles, and all models with the 9 suffix are full-size, we assume the Denza B8 will be a midsize sedan of similar size to a Honda Accord while the B5 will occupy a smaller, compact, or perhaps even subcompact segment.
Powertrain Possibilities
While Denza was founded primarily as an electric automaker, most models in its current model lineup have dual powertrain options, either plug-in hybrid or battery-electric. We expect a similar strategy here.
Denza’s least-powerful electric powertrain at present (in the N7) is a 313-horsepower e-motor, which ought to be appropriate for the B5. The B8, meanwhile, may inherit the N8’s powertrain options of either a 2.0-liter turbo-gasoline PHEV with 578 hp or a 389-hp dual-motor electric setup.
Two new trademarks filed with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) point towards the Denza B5 and Denza B8
