Nürburgring lap times have become a standard by which performance cars are measured, and now closer to home Beer O’Clock Hill has become a key test for off-road vehicles.
The Denza B5 and B8 have become the latest model to brave the treacherous hill climb, located at The Springs 4×4 Park in The Glen, Queensland.
BYD’s premium brand took its two large plug-in hybrid off-road SUVs there, taking them both up and down the 100-metre hill climb which, at its steepest point, has a 55-degree slope.
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It wasn’t done just for bragging rights though, with Denza claiming data from the escapade will be shared with its research and development teams in China.
Denza says new off-road enhancements will be offered to Australian B5 and B8 customers via over-the-air software updates.
The B5 was tested in Leopard guise and the B8 in its six-seater variant, with both body-on-frame off-roaders featuring BYD’s DiSus-P hydraulic suspension system.
Denza says the only performance modifications it made to the SUVs was the fitment of Mickey Thompson TM1 Baja Boss All-Terrain 275/55 R20 tyres, as well as “software adjustment for traction, torque and throttle calibrations”.
The B5 was also fitted with a prototype aluminium frontal protection kit and roof rack, with Denza planning to introduce a range of approved off-road accessories “soon”.
The SUVs were run in Mountain and Crawl modes with “optimised” software settings, and with low-range selected and the front and rear mechanical differentials locked.
Denza boasts in its press release that neither SUV stopped, “not even a brief pause at the infamous uphill rocky mogul which brings many vehicles unstuck”.
Various automakers have bragged about their vehicles being able to tackle the notorious hill climb, including Volkswagen with its Amarok; Kia with its Tasman; and GWM with its Cannon Alpha PHEV.
CarExpert has also taken a raft of vehicles to the testing slope.
“Beer O’Clock Hill is one of the toughest tests in the country, and we are delighted that both the Denza B5 and Denza B8 conquered it with authority,” Denza Australia chief operating officer Mark Harland said in a release.
“Learnings are shared with our Research and Development teams as part of our commitment for continuous refinement and product improvement.”
The B5 and B8 have proved more adept at tackling Beer O’Clock Hill than their BYD Shark 6 platform-mate.
Although not a BYD-sanctioned attempt, owner Chris Baker – from All Terrain Action – attempted last year to climb the hill in his Shark 6 but drove it too fast up the hill and bent the chassis, almost completely disabling the vehicle.