Denza, the premium brand of Chinese car giant BYD, is rolling out its first major over-the-air (OTA) software update for the B5 and B8 in Australia, two months after it said it’d learned from taking on the famed Beer O’Clock Hill.
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 vehicles made it to the top, but at the time Denza said it had modified the pair with Mickey Thompson all-terrain tyres and tweaked powertrain software, as well as optimised Mountain and Crawl modes.
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This led to a cheeky response from rival brand GWM, which later took the Tank 300 Hi4-T PHEV and Tank 500 Hi4-T PHEV to the hill, noting its vehicles “completed the climb without mechanical modifications, calibration changes, or software upgrades”.
As a part of the OTA software update for the B5 and B8, Denza says that data gathering from the Beer O’Clock Hill runs has led to “revised traction control management algorithms that better coordinate wheel speed and motor torque for improved off-road performance and control”.
“The upgrades improve off-road capability, greater driving stability, and enhanced flexibility in sandy conditions, giving drivers greater confidence in challenging off-road environments.”
In addition to the enhanced off-road performance, the Denza B5’s update is claimed to bring “a more advanced towing experience”, allowing cruise control to be activated, a new towing mode, and trailer weight selection, allowing the SUV to best compensate for the extra weight behind it.
For the B8, the towing upgrades also include dynamic range estimation, “providing drivers with more accurate and confident capability in real-world conditions”.
“We are listening to customer feedback, not only through our local engineering team but also through real-world experiences shared by owners driving on Australian roads and tracks,” said Denza Australia chief operating officer, Mark Harland.
“Whether it’s improved towing capability, greater off-road confidence or enhanced convenience and safety features, these updates are designed to deliver meaningful improvements that customers will notice in everyday driving.”
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