Click above image for photo gallery
China's Brilliance BS6 is a recent entry into the European market, positioned as a premium-style import sedan at a budget price. Well, after seeing the videos of the car undergoing crash testing using Euro NCAP guidelines at the ADAC (Germany's AAA, essentially) test center, one thing's certain: buyers get what they pay for. The BS6, as currently constructed, appears to a complete piece of crap. The horrifying 40 mph offset frontal crash test video shows damage that can be described as catastrophic at best. The A-pillar collapses and folds up like a cheap suitcase, forcing the driver's door to pop largely out of its frame, while the lower portion of the car buckles like it's made of recycled pop cans. We wouldn't want to be the driver's legs...or any other part of him for that matter. To open the mangled door afterwards, the ADAC techs needed to use a huge crowbar to get it to budge. ADAC notes that the pedals intruded a foot and a half (32 cm) into the driver's space, while the IP moved in almost 8 inches (20 cm). Needless to say, the BS6 failed the test, garnering just 1 star.
Follow the jump for more coverage/opinion and the related videos. Thanks to Andy B. for the tip!
[Sources: ADAC (translated) via Autobild, AFX News via Forbes]
The side-impact video's no picnic, either, as the driver's upper body takes the impact so hard, the injuries sustained would likely prove fatal. For all the crowing about Chinese cars and how they're an inevitability, if this is the kind of safety that they'll bring with them, have fun finding buyers. Back in April, Brilliance's head honcho said that this very model, the BS6, would be imported to the US either later this year or in 2008. You know what? Keep it.
After seeing the car's stellar crash performance in Deutschland, we wouldn't be caught dead in one. The good news for Europeans is that this disastrous test result might be enough to halt sales. That's what happened after the Jiangling Motors' Landwind SUV failed the same test in even more spectacular fashion in late 2005 (listen to the ADAC guys crack up after they see the Landwind result in that second link).
Until Chinese automakers get very serious about making and exporting cars that meet commonly-accepted occupant protection standards, the idea of them having any impact whatsoever in the safety-conscious United States market is laughable.
The videos are embedded below, and make sure you check out the stills in the gallery, too.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 7)
Drewboy @ Jun 22nd 2007 9:18AM
Did we expect anything more from the Chinese?
robz4 @ Jun 22nd 2007 4:05PM
This was very expected .I live in China for over a year and can tell you that they have a complete disregard for the value of human life there.
Besides that I think this must be one of the ways they are trying to control their population.
We don't need any BS6 here.
mavkato @ Jun 22nd 2007 9:18AM
I guess the BS in the name is quite appropriate
Edsel @ Jun 22nd 2007 1:15PM
"Reuben" - see my misplaced reply to you #15. Sorry.
"1337" - South Korea is a small country equal in size to a small province of China. S. Korea has fewer natural resources and, has a very unfriendly neighbor to its north. South Korea hardly factors at all in the Asian Pacific equation.
"Mathias"- you are correct to a point. The Communist government in China took a very capitalistic initiative to fuel their economy. It's working. If they let capitalism work for them, the Chinese Communist government will eventually dominate Asian democracies.
"Famous Chinese quality" - you obviously have little historical perspective. I'll give you a clue; "history" encompasses a period of time greater than one's personal lifetime. Ignore history at your peril.
1337 @ Jun 22nd 2007 4:14PM
South Korea's political conflicts and the size of their population are rather irrelevant to Hyundai USA. Remember, the United States, Germany, Sweden, the UK, and Japan are all relatively small countries when compared with China, but all of them have made greater contributions to the automotive industry than China has.
Hyundai/Kia are advancing rapidly, and their products are nipping at the heels of the Japanese in America. Chinese vehicles are nowhere to be found in the States.
Edsel @ Jun 22nd 2007 9:22AM
Laugh at China's designs now, but remember where post WWII Japan was and how far Japan advanced in less than fifty years. China is a 100 times larger than Japan with vast natural resources and a very eager to work non-union labor pool.
If I were Japan, I'd be VERY worried!
Reuben @ Jun 22nd 2007 9:25AM
To think...we all whine about 4 stars...jesus how would someone survive that?
DC @ Jun 22nd 2007 9:31AM
Well either way, it looks like we'll have about 50 years to laugh.
1337 @ Jun 22nd 2007 10:02AM
The Koreans are a far greater threat to Japan than the Chinese--less than 15 years ago, Hyundai's main product was the Excel econocar. Now, Hyundai sells Sonatas and Veracruzes.
Matthias @ Jun 23rd 2007 12:35PM
Keep in mind that, after WWII, we pretty much forced democracy and a capitalism-friendly economic system onto Japan. China has neither (although they're getting a little better at the later).
This makes a difference, even when it comes to something as trivial as making cars.
Famous Chinese quality @ Jun 22nd 2007 12:31PM
There is a difference in culture, however. Japan is about achieving perfection through research and development and paying attention to details. That shows in everything in Japanese culture. They aim for long term success of the brand.
China is about quickly making POS, selling it, grabbing money and running away while original product deteriorates before buyer's eyes. Chinese business culture is about making a single sell and looking for another idiot to buy a knock-off. For that reason they will not match Japan in quality (I'd say ever); try changing 1.5 billion people's minds.
Another prove is Korea. It was on the market for as long as China. Korea became a leader in many areas, including electronics and cars, while China remained where it started 15 years ago - making cheap commodities, that look almost like a real thing form the distance, but turn out to be total crap (not to mention toxic and poisonous in many cases because someone at Chinese manufacturer facility decided to save a few bucks)
Brian @ Jun 22nd 2007 2:53PM
Please don't compare Chinese cars to Korean ones on safety. Koreans now lead the market in safety getting 5 star crash rating on almost ALL their models. Both the Santa fe and Entourage/Sedona were given 'Top safety Picks' and Gold ratings by both NAFTA and IIHS. Hyundai has the highest standard ESC on its lineup than any non-luxury other manufacturer.
http://www.hyundaiusa.com/
You can see all the 5 star crash test results here.
I_Hate_China @ Jun 22nd 2007 6:48PM
> South Korea is a small country equal in size to a small province of China. S. Korea has fewer natural resources and, has a very unfriendly neighbor to its north. South Korea hardly factors at all in the Asian Pacific equation.
Yes, 1/40th of Chinese population, 1/3rd of 2006 Chinese GDP. Chinese have a notoriety for being inefficient throughout history. For example, Chinese army had to outnumber their foreign enemy army 10:1 to assure a victory. Fall below this ratio and the Chinese army could lose the battle, such were the case in Tang Vs Korea battle of 675(200,000 Chinese cavalry wiped out by 30,000 Korean infantry), Mongol invasion of China(100K Mongol cavalry defeated China's million-man army and conquered China), Manchu invasion of China(150K Manchu army once again defeated China's million-man army and conquered China), Japanese invasion of China(100K Japanese army ran over China and the combined force of Koumintang and Communist party could not defeat). In modern example, it takes Chery 20,000 Chinese workers to assemble 350,000 cars a year whereas Hyundai's Alabama plant has 2,500 workers assembling 300,000 cars a year. Both suck compared to Kia's Korean plant building Picanto, 900 workers assembling 160,000 cars a year.
Hardy @ Jun 22nd 2007 9:25AM
I wonder if that had a little gold made in China sticker on the bottom?
MrMorix @ Jun 22nd 2007 9:28AM
Damn, this makes a 4 star crash rating looks perfect!
MrMorix @ Jun 22nd 2007 9:29AM
Well I guess we have to have standards, or we will end up with products like this...
Taylor @ Jun 22nd 2007 2:59PM
What I wonder is how on earth did it even garner a 1-star??
I mean does the car have to blow up to get a 0-star??
vdk @ Jun 22nd 2007 9:30AM
So the car did NOT pass the crash test, therefore it shouldn't be allowed on the road. Why kill innocent people?
cheezwiz @ Jun 22nd 2007 10:27AM
Edsel,
What a wonderfully racist sentiment. While the Chinese and Japanese may look the same to you you should stop your comparison there. Japan's Post war reformation has nothing to do with China's massive communist economy.
B Hendrix @ Jun 22nd 2007 11:13AM
Uh... China's 'communist economy?' Have you been living in a cave? China's amazing development is precisely due to its rejection of communism.