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The BYD Sealion 7 and Geely EX5 electric SUVs scored highly in the safety body’s latest round of crash test ratings, including top marks for child safety.
The BYD Sealion 7 and Geely EX5 – both battery-electric SUV rivals to the top-selling Tesla Model Y – have achieved five-stars including the best score for child occupant protection in the latest ANCAP safety ratings
The Geely EX5 is the first from the Chinese car giant sold under its own brand, having sold electric cars in Australia from makes under its ownership including Volvo, Polestar, Smart and Zeekr.
Both the BYD and Geely were crash-tested by Euro NCAP (European New Car Assessment Programme) which shares its data and protocols with ANCAP (Australasian New Car Assessment Program) in Australia.
Euro NCAP rated the BYD Sealion 7 highly in child occupant protection, which was adopted by ANCAP, where its 93 per cent rating matched the Polestar 3 as the highest achieved under the latest safety protocols.
The Sealion 7 scored maximum points in frontal offset and side-impact tests, with protection of the six-year-old and 10-year-old dummies rated as ‘good’.
Adult occupant protection also saw maximum marks for side impact, oblique pole and far side impact tests with an 87 per cent rating.
It also achieved scores of 76 per cent in AEB (Autonomous Emergency Braking) tests with pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists and 78 per cent for safety assist.
Despite both scoring five stars, the Sealion 7 and the Geely EX5 were rated ‘weak’ for rear adult passenger chest protection in the full width test.
The EX5 scored a strong 87 per cent for child occupant protection, with a ‘good’ rating for the same six-year-old and 10-year-old dummies.
It couldn’t quite match the Sealion 7’s 93 per cent as it was rated as ‘adequate’ for neck protection on the 10-year-old dummy after the MPDB (Mobile Progressive Deformable Barrier) test.
The MPDB test replicates a head-on vehicle collision with ANCAP reporting “several welds around the base of the A-pillar [windscreen] became detached”.
While ANCAP reported no significant deformation of the vehicle structure, the detached pillars resulted in penalty points being applied.
The EX5’s crash avoidance was performed better, with its lane support and in-car-to-motorcycle tests rated as ‘good’ with maximum points awarded.
“As electrified vehicles continue to advance technologically, it’s encouraging to see equal investment in safety, ensuring that innovation and the protection of drivers, passengers and families go hand-in-hand,” ANCAP CEO, Carla Hoorweg, said in a statement.
