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So that’s why it bought Volvo! Ambitious Chinese car maker Geely has been shown up on
the safety front after one of its exported models received zero stars in the first-ever round of Latin American NCAP crash tests.
So bad was the result of the Geely CK1 saloon that Latin NCAP – closely affiliated to the Euro organisation – declared driver protection was “poor for most body regions”. The Geely was one of nine cars tested – chosen for their popularity in the region – and had no airbags as standard.
However, NCAP warned the firm against trying to improve the result by simply fitting some, saying: “Installing an airbag in this car would not improve occupant protection as the body shell integrity is not good.” The safety organisation also took issue with Geely for fitting a passenger airbag activation switch when in fact no airbag was fitted!
Our picture shows massive deformation in the roof and around the doors, endangering the driver. In similar front offset crash tests in Europe (conducted at the same 40mph), successful cars such as Volvos restrict the damage to the frontal area up to the windscreen, protecting the driver and passengers. Major European firms did better in the Latin NCAP tests, but not by much. Peugeot’s 207 – in Brazil a facelifted 206 – scored only one star for the no-airbag version.
Geely bought Volvo from Ford earlier this year, paying nearly £1bn for the Swedish manufacturer. The company also owns a 20 per cent stake in London black cab maker LTI, and has ambitious plans for expansion for its cars in Europe. The firm has just launched a new marque called Englon (short for England and London), initially set up to expand the black cab brand, but now incorporating smaller passenger models, too.
Not all Chinese cars have failed so miserably in NCAP tests: the Great Wall X240 off-roader scored four stars in the Australian NCAP test last year, which bodes well for the brand’s launch in the UK next year.
Great Wall has invested a significant sum into crash test technology, but accident safety is still in its infancy in China.
Rival Brilliance’s plans to enter the European market were literally dealt a blow when German motoring organisation ADAC tested its BS6 four-door to Euro NCAP standards – and discovered that it would score zero stars. This was repeated in 2009 when the BS4 saloon achieved a similar zero rating.
Source- Autoexpress.co.uk
So bad was the result of the Geely CK1 saloon that Latin NCAP – closely affiliated to the Euro organisation – declared driver protection was “poor for most body regions”. The Geely was one of nine cars tested – chosen for their popularity in the region – and had no airbags as standard.
However, NCAP warned the firm against trying to improve the result by simply fitting some, saying: “Installing an airbag in this car would not improve occupant protection as the body shell integrity is not good.” The safety organisation also took issue with Geely for fitting a passenger airbag activation switch when in fact no airbag was fitted!
Our picture shows massive deformation in the roof and around the doors, endangering the driver. In similar front offset crash tests in Europe (conducted at the same 40mph), successful cars such as Volvos restrict the damage to the frontal area up to the windscreen, protecting the driver and passengers. Major European firms did better in the Latin NCAP tests, but not by much. Peugeot’s 207 – in Brazil a facelifted 206 – scored only one star for the no-airbag version.
Geely bought Volvo from Ford earlier this year, paying nearly £1bn for the Swedish manufacturer. The company also owns a 20 per cent stake in London black cab maker LTI, and has ambitious plans for expansion for its cars in Europe. The firm has just launched a new marque called Englon (short for England and London), initially set up to expand the black cab brand, but now incorporating smaller passenger models, too.
Not all Chinese cars have failed so miserably in NCAP tests: the Great Wall X240 off-roader scored four stars in the Australian NCAP test last year, which bodes well for the brand’s launch in the UK next year.
Great Wall has invested a significant sum into crash test technology, but accident safety is still in its infancy in China.
Rival Brilliance’s plans to enter the European market were literally dealt a blow when German motoring organisation ADAC tested its BS6 four-door to Euro NCAP standards – and discovered that it would score zero stars. This was repeated in 2009 when the BS4 saloon achieved a similar zero rating.
Source- Autoexpress.co.uk
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