SAIC Motor’s popular Roewe RX5 scored 56.2 points, one of the highest among all models tested, to achieve China-New Car Assessment Program (C-NCAP) five-star crash safety ratings, according to the C-NCAP crash evaluation results for 2016.

RX5 also achieved a score of more than 89 percent on each individual criterion, and was the only model without safety weak points, thus becoming a new safety yardstick for Chinese SUVs. Earlier, the J.D. Power 2016 China Vehicle Dependability Study had ranked RX5 as the top Chinese brand in terms of dependability. These achievements indicated RX5’s strong ability to compete with joint-venture SUVs.

Comprehensive safety solutions

C-NCAP’s strict crash safety tests offer consumers systematic and object standards for evaluating vehicle’s safety performance.

The Roewe RX5 tested and scored 16.14 points in full frontal collision and 16.45 in the 40 percent frontal offset collision, indicating a well-balanced design of its front body rigidity and the amount of intrusion. In side collision, it scored 18, the full score, and got a protection rating of MAX. RX5 has been developed in strict accordance with Europe’s five-star crash safety standards. About 65 percent of its body structure is made of ultra-high-strength steel, in which heat-formed steel accounts for 7.4 percent, making it fare far better in crashworthiness than rivals of its class. It scored 3.62 in seat whiplash tests, a level only a few models attained in 2015.

Moreover, RX5 features six airbags, automatic door unlocking during a collision, three-point seat belts with pre-crash locking features and an ISOFIX child safety seat. With maximized safety design and measures targeting various traffic accidents, RX5 is able to provide all-round protection for the driver and passengers in the car.

Recently, SAIC’s Roewe and MG were ranked as the top two Chinese brands by the J.D. Power 2016 China Vehicle Dependability Study, while the two took fifth and seventh position respectively on the overall ranking list, the best performance ever seen in Chinese auto history.

As a representative of SAIC’s new-generation products, the internet-based RX5 satisfies consumers’ more demanding travel needs and is well above five-star levels in safety and dependability. Its multi-protection measures protect the driver and passengers better than rivals. Its braking distance from 100 kph is within 38 meters, at least two meters shorter than rival SUVs.

Thanks to high dependability and quality, only a little more than five months after its launch, RX5 saw its monthly sales top 20,000 units for two consecutive months, becoming one of the top 10 best-selling SUVs in China and the fastest growing brand.

Driven by RX5 and other new-generation products, SAIC passenger vehicles’ sales totaled close to 275,000 units, up 8 percent year-on-year, far higher than the growth rate of the overall market.

The C-NCAP five-star crash safety ratings, which provide buyers with an objective evaluation standard, will likely further boost RX5’s sales.