Chinese safety shock

It has caused a stir over its forthcoming entry into the European market, but Chinese firm Brilliance showed anything but brilliance in a new crash test

Auto Express Car Reviews

Horrific images show the result of 40mph crash test in Brilliance BS6

By Tom Johnston

08th July 2007

“The BS6 is a premium limousine for a budget price,” claims the firm. But the assessment, carried out by our German sister magazine Auto Bild and breakdown group ADAC, has revealed that the chance of survival in the Brilliance is almost zero!

In a test similar to the Euro NCAP examination, the BS6 scored only one star out of five. Modern cars are expected to get at least three or four stars.

It was driven towards a deformable barrier at 40mph. But as the horrific pictures show, the front end and A-pillar were pushed into the cabin, reducing the survival space in the car dramatically. The pedals were squeezed 32 centimetres inwards, and the dashboard 20cm.

The driver’s door also bowed out 40cm, and could only be opened with heavy equipment. ”The strong deformation of the cabin is caused by a serious flaw in construction,” said ADAC’s Maximilian Maurer. Due to the disastrous deformation of the passenger compartment, the steering wheel shifted to the side and back. It meant the driver’s head wasn’t pushed into the air cushion; instead, it hit the dash.

A side-impact test was failed too, with dummies’ chests exposed to a high risk of injury. In a real scenario, ADAC says that occupants would have a minimal chance of survival. Brilliance has said it
is prepared to collaborate with ADAC to improve the car’s crash protection.