Chinese cars were often ridiculed not only for their poor build quality, but also for their poor safety. Even in the days when assistance systems were still not so important, they were always rated very poorly in crash tests. Here are the current results for the Chinese model.
The electric car Ora Cat (now the Funky Cat) and the plug-in hybrid SUV Wei Coffee 01 were already on display in Munich last fall. It belongs to the Great Wall portfolio. A few weeks ago, the automaker announced the establishment of a partnership with the Emil Frey sales group, which will market them in the German-led European market, and can now boast top-notch results in safety tests as well.
The Euro NCAP organization slammed both of the mentioned Chinese cars into the wall in the final round of crash testing. Both results are out of 5 stars, supported above all by high profit margins in the individual rating categories. Funky Cat, a small electric vehicle, achieved 92% adult occupant safety, 83% child safety, 74% pedestrian safety and 93% assistance system operation. Only the Wey Coffee 01 and Tesla Model Y outperformed in the last category this year.
In terms of adult safety, Euro NCAP representatives praise the protection of the front passenger’s knees and thighs in the event of a head-on collision with overlap, but conversely, the driver’s chest put more pressure on. In the case of full-width head-on collisions, complaints were directed at higher chest pressure for rear-seat occupants as a change. On the contrary, the protection of adults proved to be excellent to good in case of side impacts and crashes into columns. Euro NCAP also appreciates the advanced emergency call system and the brakes that slow the car down after a collision.
It is also highly rated in the field of assistance systems due to its extensive standard equipment. Emergency braking responds not only to cars, but also to pedestrians and cyclists. There is also an assistant for driving in lanes, an assistant for monitoring the driver’s attention, or an assistant for reading traffic signs that regulate speed.
Like Funky Cat, the Chinese SUV Wey Coffee 01 also scored 91% for adult protection, 87% for child crew protection, 79% for pedestrian protection and 94% for operating assistance systems. Earned. Only the Tesla Model Y has more than that.
Euro NCAP points out that SUVs are fairly aggressive partners for a second car when it comes to head-on collisions and adult protection, but adult crew protection is not as good in both overhang and full-width collisions. The Chinese model scored a penalty for opening the trunk lid. As with the Funky Cat model, raters highlighted the emergency call system and post-collision braking capabilities. As with Ora, the range of assistance systems is extensive. This includes emergency braking to detect pedestrians and cyclists, assistants to keep you in your lane, and reading road signs to limit speed.
The General Secretary of Euro NCAP, Michiel van Ratingen, also noted significant improvements in Chinese cars. “So far, we have seen not only good results from Chinese brands, but also very bad results. This year, Euro NCAP will further test Chinese models for which the Great Wall has set high standards,” he said. says. Matthew Avery of Thatcham Research, a consulting firm that runs one of the Euro NCAP program’s crash test laboratories, has a similar opinion about Chinese cars. “This is heartening news for those who were worried that safety standards would drop with the arrival of new cars from China,” he said.
Let’s add that before the Great Wall model, only five other Chinese models tested by Euro NCAP achieved the prestigious five-star rating. Last year he was a Nio ES8 and a Lynk & Co 01 electric SUV, in 2019 a couple of MG HS and a ZS EV, and in 2013 the already forgotten Qoros 3 sedan. Adult protection, albeit another way of being evaluated, was a sensation nine years ago, but sales weren’t good and it was quickly withdrawn from Europe.
But even though the Lynk & Co 01 scored as high as 96% for adult protection, among Chinese cars tested so far, like the current pair scored such a high percentage in all categories None achieved the rating.
In addition to the Chinese model, they broke three other electrified models at Euro NCAP. The best of them all was the Tesla Model Y, which scored five stars, of course, but best of all was 97% adult crew protection and 98% assistance system operation. Nothing beats an American SUV. His 98% of the support system is even the highest rating in the entire history of Euro NCAP. Model Y scored 87% in child protection and 82% in pedestrian protection, which is still above average.
The American electric SUV has been joined by two more Korean SUVs. The Genesis GV60 and Kia Niro electric cars, which also received five-star ratings. The standard package of safety assistants earned 4 stars, but the additional package with radar to complement the sensors in the assistance elements raised the rating to 5 stars.
Due to its critical technical suitability, Euro NCAP inherited the 4-star rating for the Hyundai Bayon and i20 hatchbacks, as well as the 4-star ratings for the electric variants of the passenger cars Citroen Berlingo, Opel Combo and Peugeot Lifter. .
