Now the Chinese are really coming

Now the Chinese are really coming

In the past, the crash test performance of cars from China often left much to be desired. However, the car manufacturers from the Far East have now learned their lessons. In the most recent Öamtc crash test, which tested nine current vehicles for their safety, two models from the Chinese Great Wall Motors group even overshadowed some of their competitors from Europe. The electric small car Ora Funky Cat and the plug-in hybrid SUV Wey Coffee 01 will be available in Europe this year and are entering the market with 5 stars each and very good values ​​in all test criteria.

In addition to the newcomers from China, the Genesis GV60 and Tesla Model Y also achieved the highest rating this time. “This only applies to the Kia Niro, which was also tested, if you add the optional Safety Pack; in the standard version it is enough for four stars,” says Max Lang, vehicle safety expert at the Mobility Club. This rating is also available for the essentially identical Citroen e-Berlingo, Opel Combo-e Life and Peugeot e-Rifter (the Rifter with a combustion engine was tested in 2018) as well as the Hyundai i20, which corresponds to the Hyundai Bayon tested in 2021.

In the adult safety test criterion, all candidates achieved excellent values ​​of around 90 percent - only the Hyundai i20 falls significantly short here with 76 percent and an increased risk of injury in a side impact. When it comes to child safety, most current vehicles also achieve values ​​of well over 80 percent. The best in this criterion this time come from Genesis, Tesla and Wey (87 percent each), with the Hyundai i20 (82 percent) performing the weakest here too. In addition to the design of the front section, electronic assistance systems also play an important role for vulnerable road users. In terms of construction, most models have been stagnating for some time. “It is usually still the hard A-pillars and often parts of the hood and windshield that lead to serious injuries to pedestrians and cyclists in a collision,” says the ÖAMTC expert. However, automatic emergency braking assistants could help prevent accidents. There is little to complain about here from the Öamtc. The most common problem occurs when the system fails to recognize pedestrians when reversing or turning right. When it comes to the safety assistant criterion, the Tesla sets the standards with a value of 98 percent, but the Chinese models are also very well equipped with assistants with 93 (Ora Funky Cat) and 94 percent (Wey Coffee 01).