BYD’s splashy publicity stunts have continued, with the company this time showing off its new luxury sedan’s ability to electronically control its suspension to play a game on its roof.
The U7 is the flagship electric sedan sold under BYD’s upmarket Yangwang brand, and like the U8 SUV and U9 hypercar it comes loaded with the latest in the Chinese brand’s advanced DiSus active suspension technology.
DiSus-P suspension fitted to the U8 allows its ground clearance to be increased by up to 15cm and forms part of its emergency floating mode that allows it to stay afloat for 30 minutes. Similarly, one of the many DiSus systems available on the U9 is the DiSus-X system that allows it to jump and remain stable on three wheels.
Now, Yangwang has fitted the DiSus-Z system to its U7 sedan, intended to provide unrivalled on-road comfort by adapting to bumps and holes.
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With the ability to adjust the height of each corner of the car, this system also allows you to play a version of the classic Labyrinth maze game.
As shown in a video uploaded to YouTube by media outlet Car News China, the U7’s DiSus-Z suspension is connected to a smartphone that allows the user to use the gyroscopic function of the phone to control the level of the car at each wheel.
It’s then used to navigate a ball through a maze fitted to the roof of the U7, which makes its way to the end of the maze before illuminating to reveal U7 lettering.
As such the video demonstrates the DiSus-Z system’s capabilities, which suggests the U7 should be able to back up its driving comfort claim if the functionality of its suspension tech is transferrable to the real world.
The U7 is the first car in Yangwang’s fleet to be fitted with the DiSus-Z system.
Intended as a rival to the 760kW-Tesla Model S Plaid, the electric U7 produces 970kW of power from its quad-motor setup.
It’s powered by a 135.5kWh battery pack, providing a claimed range of 720km according to the Chinese CLTC standard.
Beyond the suspension, the U7’s headlining feature is its minuscule drag coefficient of just 0.195 – compared to the Model S’ 0.208 and the Model 3’s 0.219.
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Yangwang U7
The U7 is slated to start deliveries in China in the second quarter of 2025.
Its active suspension trick isn’t the first of its kind either, as Nio – another Chinese brand – has previously demonstrated similar tech on its ET9.
Nio’s flagship electric sedan is fitted with the brand’s SkyRide active suspension, which supposedly allows it to iron out road bumps almost seamlessly and even shake off snow – much like a dog shakes off water.
Other Nio videos show the ET9 balancing a tower of champagne glasses on its bonnet as it drives over bumps without spilling a drop.
Amidst the arms race towards flashier (and more gimmicky) tech between Chinese manufacturers, questions are still raised over the real-world practicality of such functions.
The Yangwang U9, for example, was previously shown to be capable of jumping over potholes and obstacles on the road while travelling at speed – a function that seems beneficial but is likely to see minimal use in the real world.
In fact, a video uploaded by Car News China earlier this month shows a U9 driver in China being fined by police after sitting stationary in the middle of a busy road.
The reason the car was stopped? So the driver could demonstrate the U9’s ability to ‘dance’ to an onlooking crowd.
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