GEELY EC7 GATHERS FIVE EURO-NCAP STARS

The Geely EC7 has made history by becoming the first Chinese car to receive a four-star rating in the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro-NCAP).

According to its latest safety collison test results, released at the end of November, this is the highest rating achieved among all the Chinese cars tested by the respected European safety accreditation authority, and it will undoubtedly result in increased recognition of Chinese cars globally.

“These results mark a milestone for the Chinese automotive industry.  It is a clear sign that Chinese automakers are building on recent experience and rapidly investing in better vehicle safety.  Even with the upcoming increased demands, five stars are expected to be within reach soon by Chinese automakers,” said Michiel van Ratingen, Euro-NCAP Secretary General.

The Geely EC7 received a China-NCAP five-star rating in January this year with a high score of 46.8 points and its four-star Euro-NCAP rating signals an elevation of Geely’s ‘safety benchmark’ of Chinese cars to a new height.  Euro-NCAP is currently the world’s most influential collision test agency, whose tests have become vehicle safety standards for NCAP agencies in countries like China, Japan and Australia.

The Euro-NCAP safety collision test, which is voluntary, includes tests of frontal impact, car-to-car side impact, pole side impact, child occupant protection (18-month and three-year-old children) and pedestrian protection.

As the first key model of Geely targeted at the middle- and high-end segment, EC7, from the very beginning of its design, has been geared towards the highest safety standards of Euro-NCAP and China-NCAP.

In such aspects as part procurement, body structure design, safety equipment and pedestrian protection, EC7 follows the world’s most rigorous European safety standards. The body can effectively absorb crash energy and disperse it over a wide area, thus greatly reducing cab deformation and better protecting drivers and passengers.

EC7 also takes the lead in introducing the concept of pedestrian protection; its streamlined front design, friendly bumper system, use of buffer materials and rational proportion of body height all help to ensure that the car meets the new international safety standards.

In addition, Geely’s Blow-out Monitoring and Brake System (BMBS), a proprietary and patented safety technology and the first of its kind in the world, highly reduces the possibility of tyre blow-out and therefore greatly boosts the active safety of the car.

The Geely EC7 is a D segment passenger car that has a long wheelbase (2.65 metres) and generous interior proportions that combine with sleek, modern styling and engineering integrity to meet the highest European standards. It was one of the stars of the Geely stand at the recent Johannesburg International Motor Show and will be introduced to the South African market towards the end of 2012.

STORY BY GEELY