HAS THE STUDENT definitely outplayed the teacher?
In the last two decades, the Chinese auto industry has gone through a thorny path from being an object of ridicule and a pale copy of European products to a respectable player that follows and sets new trends. Chinese brands already hold the lead in the electric car offering, and a similar trend of increasing competitiveness is visible in the conventional offering.
Some Chinese brands have shown that they are ready for the more demanding European market. Among them is Chery, which believes in its products. They are so confident in the capabilities of their cars that they are willing to subject them to the most rigorous tests, in front of witnesses.
So they have now decided to show a crash test on the new Exeed Sterra ES model. This is an extreme test in which two cars simultaneously hit a third. The speed is 60 km/h, one car hits the side of the vehicle, and the other hits the front, diagonally into the front end, at an angle of 30 degrees.
All this was performed in front of media representatives at the test center in Tanjin with the support of CATARC (China Automotive Technology and Research Centre). As the video shows, no standard barriers were used in this test, but three identical cars took part.
Of course, there are some details that don’t convey the intended U-turn situation clearly. For example, both cars collided at the same speed, and the car they hit wasn’t moving.
The car handled shocks well and no unexpected details were recorded. Thus, the carriers withstood the impact, the airbags were activated, and at the moment of the collision, all the doors were unlocked. Furthermore, the battery remained intact.
In any case, it is an interesting manufacturer’s test that should definitely be evaluated by a third party, such as EuroNCAP or IIHS.
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