Geely Monjaro, Changan Uni-V, BYD Seal, Voyah Free, Hongqi H5 and other novelties from China for the Russian market were broken during safety tests. Who was the most reliable
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The independent organization C-NCAP, an analogue of the European EuroNCAP, has been conducting safety tests for cars produced in China for a long time. The results of these crash tests have become more relevant and interesting than ever for Russia, where the share of cars from China is growing every month. Autonews.ru found out how the most important novelties for our market have been tested lately. We will talk about both official cars and those brought by parallel imports.
What is C-NCAP
The Chinese Automotive Science Center began conducting its own crash tests in 2006. During this time, the testing methodology has seriously changed and become more complicated several times. Now the Chinese are conducting crash tests similar to the European Euro NCAP. However, there are still differences. For example, C-NCAP has three main test blocks – driver and passenger safety, pedestrian safety, and the operation of active safety systems. Europeans are also separately testing the protection of child passengers. The stages themselves and the conditions for conducting the crash tests themselves also differ.
Voyah Free: five-star safety and driver protection
The premium Chinese brand Voyah (owned by the state corporation Dongfeng) debuted on the Russian market at the end of last year. At the moment, in our country, this brand is represented by the Free electric crossover and the Dream minivan. The first model received a high overall safety score in C-NCAP tests (92.3%). For a 2021 model year, driver and passenger safety was rated at 94.39%, pedestrian safety at 75.09%, and electronic assistance systems at a record 100%. The verdict of experts is five stars of safety. The report especially appreciated the minimal risk of injury to the driver and passengers in all types of collisions.
Geely Monjaro – five stars, but there are questions
The Chinese company Geely began officially accepting orders for its flagship Monjaro crossover in Russia in March 2023. However, some domestic dealers began to independently bring this model to our market since the end of last year. In China, this model is called Xingyue L and has already been tested in local crash tests. As a result, the crossover was able to score the maximum rating – five safety stars. However, there were still complaints about the car.
The crash test involved a 2022 car with a 2.0-liter turbo Volvo JLH-4G20TDB engine. The car received a high 89.49% for the protection of the driver and passengers (adults and children). Experts assessed the safety of pedestrians at 76.81%, and the operation of car security systems at 82.01%.
Readings taken from crash dummies used in the tests showed a moderate risk of chest injury in a child seated in a child seat during a frontal impact with a 100% overlap crash barrier at 50 km/h. In the event of a frontal impact of a car with a 50% overlap on a deformable obstacle, the driver and an adult rear passenger can receive similar injuries. For pedestrians, the main danger is the side pillars and the hood area of the car.
Changan Uni-V – four stars, but good brakes
Another novelty from China for the Russian market is the Changan Uni-V liftback. According to the results of C-NCAP crash tests, the safety of this model was rated at 79.5% and the car was awarded 4 stars. The car received 80.26% for driver and passenger protection, while pedestrian safety earned 69.23%. The performance of the security systems of the Chinese liftback was awarded 83.92%.
The main complaint is that in a frontal collision with a fixed obstacle, there is a high probability of a serious head injury in a child sitting behind. In a side impact with a deformable object, there is a high risk of chest injury for the rear adult passenger. At the same time, the area of the side pillars is a great danger for pedestrians. With a “plus” sign, the experts assessed the reliable operation of the emergency braking system.
BYD Seal: five stars, but there are side impact risks
The four-door BYD Seal debuted in China last spring. The car, which is positioned as a competitor to the Tesla Model 3, is equipped with a 530-horsepower twin-engine electrical installation. An exotic novelty can also be found at some Russian dealers. Moreover, if you believe the results of Chinese crash tests, you can not worry too much about the safety of the car. Experts rated the protection of the driver and passengers at 92.27%, and pedestrians at 66.75%. Driver assistance systems that ensure safe driving received 92.97%. However, it was not without complaints. For the driver, a side impact is a serious danger. In such an accident, the motorist risks injury to the chest.
Skyworth EV6: one star
Things are much worse with the safety of the Chinese crossover Skyworth EV6. According to the test results, this car received only one star. Moreover, this model is now available on the Russian market, where it is sold under the name Skywell ET5. However, the representative office of the company in our country hastened to reassure potential customers of the novelty. According to them, in the C-NCAP crash tests, a car with a Chinese specification was involved, which is seriously different from the version of the car for the domestic market.
For the safety of the driver and passengers, the electric car earned only 38.45%. Thus, the car actually failed all stages of crash tests. In almost all types of collisions, the indicators taken from the dummies showed a high risk of various injuries to the driver and all passengers of the cars. The car performed significantly better in pedestrian safety tests. Here the car was awarded 61.46% (average score).
Nissan X-Trail: five stars
In China, the Nissan X-Trail crossover is produced at the Dongfeng-Nissan JV plant. Some Russian dealers import this car into our country privately (you can also find an American version of the car called Rogue from sellers). The Chinese version of the car in the C-NCAP crash tests was able to score the maximum 5 safety stars. Even the average risk of injury to the neck of the rear passenger in a frontal impact of a car with a 50% overlap on a deformable obstacle could not affect this assessment. As a result, the safety of the driver and adult passengers was rated at 89.04%, pedestrians – at 70.26%, and the operation of electronic auxiliary systems – at 84%.
Hongqi H5: five stars
One of the most anticipated Chinese novelties in the Russian market is the Hongqi H5 business sedan. Classmate Mercedes-Benz E-Class and BMW 5 Series coped with the Chinese crash tests “excellent” receiving five safety stars. The degree of protection for drivers and passengers was rated at 89.48%, for pedestrians at 74.18%, and for the work of electronic assistants, the car was given 93.38%. In some types of collision, experts have recorded various risks of injury for people in the car. For example, in a frontal impact against a crash barrier, an adult passenger and a child passenger in the rear seats may be injured. They can get chest and head injuries respectively. In a similar impact with a moving object, there is an average probability of injury to the driver’s leg. For a pedestrian, the most dangerous areas were the hood and side pillars.
NIO ET7: five stars
Another excellent C-NCAP test is the NIO ET7 electric sedan. This car received a similar rating (5 stars) from the independent European organization EuroNCAP. Officially, this car is not for sale in Russia, but it can be easily found at dealerships that are engaged in parallel imports.
The test organizers assessed the safety of the driver and passengers at 88.18%, other road users – at 77.15%, and 91.44% for electronic “assistants”. Experts noted a very low risk of injury to the driver and passengers in all types of collisions.
Volkswagen ID.3: five stars, but there are risks in a frontal impact
The Volkswagen ID.3 electric car for the Chinese market received the same number of stars. The only serious claim from experts to the car is the high risk of injury to the chest and abdomen of the driver in a frontal impact. The test organizers had no other questions about the car. As a result, the car received 89.32% for the protection of the driver and passengers, and 85.98% for the operation of the car’s security systems. The Volkswagen ID.3 has never been officially sold on the Russian market. One now, several large dealerships bring this car to Russia at once under the parallel import scheme.
