The Geely Panda, the first Chinese car to earn five stars in crash tests

Recently, the Chinese have not fared very well in safety crash tests. The case of Brilliance resulted in one of the most spectacularly negative crash tests ever conducted by Euro NCAP, with zero stars for the BS4 saloon. Geely had also suffered the disaster of the Zi You Jian, a sedan sold on the Chinese market that was completely destroyed against the Euro NCAP barriers.

C-NCAP, China’s version of Euro NCAP, recently carried out tests on the Geely Panda, one of the blatant copies of Western cars that the Chinese are so fond of. It seems Geely’s designers have learned their lesson, because the “Chinese Panda” achieved five stars in the frontal and side impact tests.

Before those who sympathise with Chinese cars start popping champagne corks, however, a caveat is needed. The difference between the Euro NCAP and C-NCAP tests is significant. While the European body performs this same test at a speed of 64 km/h, the Chinese run it at 53 km/h. That 11 km/h difference on impact with the barrier can be decisive in changing a rating.

The same applies to the side impact test, where in China cars are struck at a lower speed than in Europe. Even so, it is progress for Chinese cars, including Geely as a brand, though they still fall short of the stricter standards in Europe.

Via | Swede Speed