A new pair of Chinese electrified SUVs have reached the summit of Australia’s online-famous Beer O’Clock Hill, with the Denza B5 and B8 recently achieving what many cars can’t.
To kick off its Australian launch, Denza sent the Prado-sized B5 and LandCruiser 300-sized B8 up the steep, rutted 100 metre-long hill, located in The Springs 4×4 Adventure Park – about 180km south-west of Brisbane – to prove their worth.
Both the Denza B5 Leopard (flagship) and B8 featured Denza’s DiSus-P adjustable hydraulic suspension system to provide better grip on the loose surfaces, with the only modifications being Mickey Thompson all-terrain tyres and tweaked powertrain software.
According to Denza, the Mountain and Crawl modes were optimised for the runs, while the front and rear mechanical differentials were locked and low-range was engaged, resulting in the two SUVs climbing the steep slope without stopping.
Following the run up the hill, both vehicles descended it too, all without any major hassle.
While it’s not the first car brand to send its vehicles up Beer O’Clock Hill to prove a point, Denza says that the data from the runs will be sent back to China for validation, with “new off-road enhancements to be offered to all Denza B5 and B8 Australian customers via over-the-air (OTA) updates”.
“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,” said Denza Australia COO, Mark Harland.
“Learnings are shared with our Research and Development teams as part of our commitment for continuous refinement and product improvement.”
In addition to the upcoming over-the-air software updates, Denza says the B5 Leopard was fitted with a prototype aluminium frontal protection kit and roof rack, both of which are expected to be available down the track as off-road accessories for customers.
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