Cheap, but also safe: three Chinese electric cars excel in Euro NCAP

The times when cars of Chinese origin were considered unsafe by European standards are long behind us. In recent years, Euro NCAP has tested numerous models from that Asian country, and the conclusion is clear: they can compete head-to-head with local products. Their latest round of crash tests serves as proof of this.

The reputable organization analyzed four different models, three of them Chinese and one European: the GAC Aion UT, the Geely E2, the Leapmotor B05, and the CUPRA Raval. As can be seen, they are all electric vehicles with affordable pricing: the GAC, Geely, and CUPRA models compete in the B segment (SUVs), while the Leapmotor is in the C segment (compacts).

The UT has achieved the top five-star rating. Although it loses points in the safe driving category (66%) due to the lack of physical controls in the cabin, it makes up for this by being the only model capable of detecting if a passenger is in an unsafe position. It scores 91% for crash safety, 74% for assistance systems, and 88% for post-crash safety.

The E2 also earns the highly sought-after five stars, with scores of 79% for safe driving, 86% for crash safety, 72% for assistance systems, and 95% for post-crash safety. Its main issue is that some systems (such as automatic emergency braking) have inconsistent performance.

The CUPRA Raval has two different ratings

The B05 shares some of the same issues as its counterparts, particularly the lack of physical controls on the dashboard, as concentrating most functions on the touchscreen can distract the driver. Nevertheless, it also receives a five-star rating: 66% in safe driving, 92% in crash safety, 77% in assistance systems, and 89% in post-crash safety.

The Raval is the only one that remains at four stars... although with the optional safety package (which includes intelligent adaptive cruise control with active lane-keeping assist), it rises to five stars. This does not affect crash safety (91%) or post-crash performance (95%), but it does impact safe driving ratings (rising from 58% to 72%) and assistance system scores (rising from 66% to 77%). This highlights a fundamental difference between Chinese and European models: the former typically come equipped with extensive standard features, while the latter offer a longer list of options.

"Automotive safety in Chinese vehicles has improved dramatically since Euro NCAP tested its first car manufactured in China in 2010. There is still work to be done, but today’s results clearly show that Chinese automakers are continuing to strive hard to meet the high standards expected by European consumers," says Dr. Aled Williams, director of Euro NCAP.

"It would be preferable if the European brand CUPRA offered active technologies as standard, but a safety package is a middle ground solution. By actively adopting Euro NCAP’s stringent goals, especially this year, car manufacturers are demonstrating their commitment to providing safer vehicles for everyone on European roads. Euro NCAP continues to provide increasingly detailed information on the safety performance of new cars. However, consumers should remember that a significant part of safety lies in driving: don’t forget to test drive before buying!"

Source | Euro NCAP