1 month ago
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New electric SUVs from Leapmotor, Zeekr and XPeng have performed well in the latest round of independent crash tests.
Electric Cars
Three of the latest electric cars from new Chinese brands have been awarded five-star safety ratings, as the first cars roll into Australian showrooms.
The Leapmotor C10, Zeekr X and XPeng G6 have earned top marks from ANCAP, based on testing conducted in Europe to the latest and most stringent criteria.
All three electric SUVs have arrived in Australia, or are due imminently, with different backing – Leapmotor is part-owned by Jeep and Ram parent company Stellantis, Zeekr sits alongside Volvo and Polestar in the Geely group, and XPeng is an independent firm.
The C10 was awarded category scores of 89 per cent for adult occupant protection, 87 per cent for child occupant protection, 77 per cent for vulnerable road user (pedestrian and cyclist) protection, and 77 per cent for safety assist technology.
It earned maximum points for how well its structure and restraints protected children in the frontal offset and side impact tests, though marginal protection of the driver's torso, and poor protection of their pelvis, were recorded.
The Zeekr earned the highest adult occupant protection score of the trio, at 91 per cent, plus 87 per cent for child occupant protection, 84 per cent for vulnerable road user protection, and 84 per cent for safety assist technology.
ANCAP said the Zeekr X earned maximum points for adult protection in the side-impact crash test, and its front structure "presented a moderate risk to occupants of an oncoming vehicle" in the frontal offset crash test.
Meanwhile, the XPeng G6 – with scores of 88 per cent, 86 per cent, 81 per cent and 80 per cent respectively across the four categories – was noted with "minor head contact" between front occupants in the passenger-side impact crash test, and lost points accordingly.
Also awarded five stars in the latest round of ANCAP tests was the Volvo EX30, a sibling of the Zeekr X under the skin – plus the Lexus LBX hybrid SUV.
"There are close to 100 current five-star ANCAP ratings for alternate-powered vehicles, with most manufacturers proving that new models can be both safe and green," ANCAP CEO Carla Hoorweg said in a media statement.
Electric Cars Guide
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family.
