Automakers are keen to point out their pickups and SUVs’ wading capacities. If anything, it’s become a bit of a marketing tool these days with the higher the number, the better. Most of the popular SUVs in the country have a wading capacity of about 800mm. That means you can tread water that deep until you run the risk of engine damage.
However, the folks from BYD have taken a different and unusual approach to that. Instead of stating its wading depth capacity, the company made what’s called an ‘emergency floating mode’.
Wait, what?
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That particular feature is fitted to the flagship SUV of BYD, the YangWang U8. It’s targeted straight at the luxury market and aims to steal sales away from Land Rover and Lexus in its home market, at least. As it is, it can match a Range Rover or a G-Class in terms of wading as BYD claims it can handle up to 1.4 meters of water (with a snorkel).
So, what in the world is ‘emergency floating mode’? Well, it does exactly what it says on the tin. The system seals up all the doors, puts the air-conditioning in recirculation mode, and opens the sunroof, um, just in case. The spokes of the wheels then serve as ‘propellers’ (of sorts), and BYD even claims it can be steered. How fast can it go on water, you ask? It can take you to a dizzying speed of, er, 3kph.
That said, we wouldn’t advise anyone doing long river treks with the YangWang U8. The floating mode can only keep this heavy SUV afloat for about 30 minutes. After that, it’s uncharted waters for both the car and its occupants.
Want to know more about the YangWang U8? Well, it’s about 3,200kg thanks to the heavy powertrain system. Speaking of which, the giant SUV is a series hybrid, meaning it still has an engine but its sole purpose is to charge the batteries. It’s a little bit like e-Power technology from Nissan. In case you’re wondering, it uses a 2.0-liter turbopetrol to top up charges.
The reason for having such a powerful generator is the fact that the YangWang U8 uses four electric motors. Per the company, each motor makes about 295hp and gives the SUV a total system output of 1,184hp and 1,280Nm of torque.
Prices for this ‘floating’ luxury SUV starts at 1,089,000 yuan or about P8.5 million. Okay, so it’s a lot of money for a Chinese SUV, but then again, a Range Rover or a G-Class doesn’t come with a floating mode.
