15:01 11-07-2026

Not a Haval, Not a Skoda: 738-HP Chinese Hybrid Becomes an Official Dubai Police Car

Dubai Police unveiled the second-generation Ghiath patrol program built on BYD's Denza B8, a 738-hp plug-in hybrid, under a new deal with distributor Al-Futtaim.

Dubai Police are used to surprising people with Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Rolls-Royces and Mercedes-AMGs, but the new Denza B8 is more interesting precisely because it’s a working vehicle. This isn’t another showpiece supercar for tourist photos — it’s a body-on-frame plug-in hybrid with serious power, strong torque and a set of “smart” patrol systems.

The Denza B8 has become the second generation of the Ghiath patrol program. The project runs through an agreement with Al-Futtaim, BYD’s exclusive distributor in the UAE, so the batch may not be limited to a single demonstration car. The vehicle has already been fitted with Dubai Police’s white-and-green livery, plus external LED beacons and light clusters in the grille and on the roof.

The hardware on the Denza B8 is more serious than what many city crossovers offer. In China the model is known as the Fangchengbao Bao 8: a body-on-frame platform, BYD’s DMO Super Hybrid system, a 2.0-liter turbo engine and two electric motors. Combined output reaches up to 738 hp and 760 Nm, with 0-100 km/h taking 4.8 seconds. For police work, that combination beats a pure supercar: you can move fast, patrol slowly on electric power, carry equipment and not worry about leaving the pavement.

Next to a Lamborghini or a Ferrari Purosangue, the Denza loses on image but wins on practicality. It has normal ground clearance, a proper cabin, body-on-frame construction and a hybrid setup suited to long shifts. That’s why the Denza B8 looks less like a replacement for exotics and more like a shift from a showroom fleet toward more functional hardware.

For BYD, this is a strong showcase contract. Dubai Police is a global media platform: when a Chinese hybrid serves alongside European supercars, the brand doesn’t get pitched as a “cheap alternative” — it gets the status of a technology player. That matters especially for Denza ahead of expansion in the Middle East and Europe, where the brand is trying to compete on technology rather than price alone.

Meanwhile in Russia, police still rely on older Skoda Octavias and newer Haval F7s, alongside domestic LADA models. Dubai didn’t pick the Denza B8 to replace supercars — it picked it for jobs where a supercar is simply too flashy, too expensive and too impractical.