BYD tests Yangwang U8L by dropping a tree on it and hanging a bus from its frame
China’s luxury off roader is chasing attention not only with power figures and gadgetry but now with a set of swaggering safety stunts that leave even seasoned testers blinking.
BYD decided to turn the launch of its extended Yangwang U8L into something more theatrical and shot a video where the SUV first meets a falling palm tree, then ends up supporting a 12 tonne city bus. It is hardly the usual way to introduce a premium model, although the impact is difficult to ignore.
The U8L made its first appearance at the Shanghai motor show in spring. It stretches to 5400 millimetres in length with a 3250 millimetre wheelbase. Power comes from four electric motors working with a combustion engine, a setup that produces roughly 1200 horsepower and 1280 Newton metres of torque. The catalogue also lists a water drive mode that keeps the car moving briefly on the surface, along with a tank turn programme that spins it around on the spot.
The video opens with a full sized palm being dropped near the A pillar. The stunt is repeated at heights of three, four and five metres. The result is a small dent in the roof and little else. A key detail stands out. The driver’s door still moves as smoothly as before, a sign that the body’s geometry stayed intact.
Around the eleven minute mark the spectacle becomes even harder to believe. A 12 tonne bus is hoisted onto the centre of the SUV’s ladder frame. There is no visible sagging even though the load borders on the absurd. BYD’s message is simple enough. The U8L can tolerate stresses that fall well outside everyday use, a point that certainly fuels conversation around the model.
Other clips highlight the car’s ability to shuffle through tight spaces, its unusual cabin and lighting, and its mix of driver aids and comfort features.
The Yangwang U8L test signals a desire to prove that home grown luxury no longer trails any rival in pure engineering terms. Western brands usually perform their durability trials in laboratories rather than in marketing reels. BYD chose a more dramatic route, a mix of ingenuity and bravado that may feel excessive at times. It does, however, push the SUV into the spotlight in a market where competition grows fiercer by the month.
