This affordable Chinese electric city car shines in the Euro NCAP crash test
Once again, Chinese cars excel in EuroNCAP crash tests. All models tested receive 5 stars regardless of their price. The Cupra Raval also achieves this score, but through an optional package.
Chinese automakers have fully recognized the impact of poor crash-test results on their reputation. Following the disastrous test outcomes for vehicles from brands like Landwind and Brilliance a few years ago, they have made achieving the best possible results a core requirement in their development plans. Regardless of category or price. The Geely E2 provides a clear example in the latest round of EuroNCAP tests. It’s important to note that the testing protocol was strengthened this year (so the ratings are not directly comparable to those of vehicles tested before 2026).
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Geely E2: An electric city car with an affordable price and solid features, but range may be disappointing
Despite a base price of 20,990 euros, Geely’s newly launched electric city car earns 5 stars with fairly good scores across all categories. It even performs better than the BMW iX3 in some areas. For example, it scores 79% in the “Safe Driving” category compared to 73% for the Bavarian model. In crash testing, it achieves 86%, matching the iX3’s score, though it is slightly less effective in side and rear crashes but performs better in front-end collisions and protecting vulnerable road users.
The most criticized aspect of this E2 is its various driving assistance features and their highly inconsistent results across tests, such as pedestrian detection during maneuvers or cyclist detection when doors open. It still manages a 72% score in this category, which qualifies it for the maximum number of stars.
Aion UT and Leapmotor B05
Two other Chinese electric vehicles were tested and earned their five-star ratings. The Aion UT is not available in France yet but will be soon. It will actually be at the World Motor Show in October. It received its five stars despite being criticized by EuroNCAP mainly for the lack of physical controls in its cockpit. The overall score was 66% in “Safe Driving.” However, it is the only vehicle in this test group to have an occupant detection system that can identify passengers in improper positions (such as with their feet on the dashboard). Otherwise, it is quite similar to the Geely model, with 74% in driving assistance, 91% in crash performance, and 88% in post-crash safety (95% for Geely).
The same issues apply to the Leapmotor B05. Excessive orders shown on its screen also result in a 66% score for safe driving, followed by 77% for driving assistance, 92% for crash performance, and 89% for post-crash evaluation. It performs particularly better than Geely in side impact testing (100%) and in protecting vulnerable road users with 81%.
Cupra Raval: five stars as an option
The Cupra Raval is the minor disappointment of this testing campaign, scoring only 4 stars. At least in its base version, as an optional package allows it to achieve 5 stars.
The difference between the two versions has nothing to do with crash protection or post-crash safety. The additional star is awarded for the presence of adaptive cruise control combined with active lane keeping. Despite this feature, the Raval scores lower than the Geely E2.
