Euro NCAP published its fifth round of safety ratings this week and Chinese newcomers hit top scores.
The highly anticipated Tesla Model Y did not disappoint and shoots to the top of recently published five-star cars, while the new electric Genesis GV60 continues the 5-star success of the GV70 and GV80 models tested last year.
Euro NCAP also tested two newcomers from China’s Great Wall Motor Company – the ORA Funky Cat (above) and the WEY Coffee 01 (below), both achieving top marks.
Finally, the new Kia Niro is awarded four stars with standard equipment, but five when fitted with the optional safety pack.
The Model Y, built in Tesla’s Berlin Gigafactory, scores an impressive 97 percent in Adult Occupant Protection and near-perfect 98 percent in Safety Assist, with full points for its lane support and new cabin camera-based driver monitoring system.
In Euro NCAP track tests, the Model Y camera-only Vision system performs remarkably well in preventing collisions with other cars, cyclists and pedestrians.
Chinese manufacturers have tried to take on the European market before and have, in the past, met with mixed fortunes in safety tests. Following in the footsteps of NIO, Lynk & Co and MG, Great Wall Motor demonstrates that it can produce cars that match the best that Europe has to offer, with the electric ORA Funky Cat and WEY Coffee 1 both achieving five stars.
Euro NCAP’s Secretary General, Michiel van Ratingen, said, “We’ve seen good results from some Chinese manufacturers in the past, but also some very poor ones.
“This year, Euro NCAP will test more Chinese cars than it has ever done and Great Wall really sets the standard for others to follow.
“Also, congratulations to Tesla for a truly outstanding, record-breaking Model Y rating. Tesla have shown that nothing, but the best is good enough for them, and we hope to see them continue to aspire to that goal in the future.”
Matthew Avery, Chief Research Strategy Officer, Thatcham Research, added about the Model Y (above), “The Tesla Model Y has aced testing, securing outstanding all-round safety ratings.
“It has scored the highest grade ever seen in the Safety Assist category at 98% along with 2022’s highest Adult Occupant Protection score of 97%. In this respect, Tesla is setting the standard for emergency safety system performance.
“However, it’s a shame that unresolved issues remain with regard to the safe operation of its Autopilot system.”
Korean brands also did well in this round of tests. The electric SUV Genesis GV60 (above) gets a five-star rating, albeit with some room for improvement in its protection of vulnerable road users. And the Kia Niro is awarded four stars when fitted with standard equipment, including a forward-looking camera system. Car-buyers have to pay extra for the optional ‘DriveWise’ safety pack, which adds a radar to the sensor-set, if they want top-level safety.
The third generation Hyundai i20 shares the 2021 four star rating of the closely-related BAYON. And new electric variants of existing Stellantis models – the Citroen e-Berlingo, Opel/Vauxhall Combo e Life and the Peugeot e-Rifter – are added to the 2018 results of the combustion-engined models.
