Chinese automotive testing outlet DCAR Studio collaborated with state-owned broadcaster CCTV to conduct the most rigorous and thorough test of domestic vehicles, specifically regarding ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) tech.
The results of this unprecedented test are staggering, with some 86 per cent of participants failing to pass more than two out of the six tests. Some, including locally available models, wrote themselves off and couldn’t proceed.
For the testing, 15km of highway was rented out with six mock scenarios reflecting real world incidents to test the crash avoidance, autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and lane keep assist capability of the cars. Some entrants, including BYD, were equipped with the latest generation of ADAS, with grandiose names such as ‘God’s Eye’, while others were equipped with insane levels of processing power thanks to the latest computer chips.
In order of occurrence, the six tests were: A sudden lane change revealing a stopped vehicle ahead, a simulated construction zone with clear delineation by traffic cones, a nighttime partially-blocked lane scenario, a car stopped perpendicular to the freeway, sudden lane change of another car into the same lane, and a simulated wild boar running in front of the vehicle. A mock-up of a truck was included in the latter three tests, as this is a common occurrence in China, leading to fatalities.
The Tesla Model 3 and Model X performed the best, with 5 out of 6 tests cleared. Only the wild bushpig scuppered the Model 3, while its Falcon-winged SUV brother plowed into the construction site.
The next cohort of cars managed three out of six. These included the AITO M7 4WD Ultra Smart Driving Edition, BYD Denza Z9GT, Luxeed R7 (a Chery subsidiary), and XPeng G6. LYNK & CO’s 900, Changan’s AVATR 12 & 07 as well as the AITO M7 barely scraped by with 2/5.
Disappointingly, some of the coolest and most desirable cars being made in China did not proceed past the fourth round. These include the BYD Seagull (1/4), Xiaomi SU7 Ultra and NIO Firefly. There was even a Mercedes-Benz W206 C-Class thrown in for good measure. It did not go well. Even the recently-announced ZEEKR 7X did not pass any tests, while the dismal Leapmotor C10 was brutally written off early on.
This is a major eye-opener on the state of the industry in terms of safety and real-world effectiveness. Despite many of these manufacturers proclaiming the most comprehensive LIDAR arrays and cameras, the overwhelming majority did not deal with real-world scenarios.
The Leapmotor C10 has a five-star ANCAP rating in Australia. Yet, this test could prove there may be flaws in ANCAP’s testing regime and highlights the confounding logic of mandating new cars to have ADAS features, such as AEB in Australia. All this serves to do is jack up the price of new cars, in our opinion, and breeds complacency.
That’s not to write off the idea of ADAS in new cars – systems such as Subaru’s EyeSight have been proven effective in many real-world scenarios. But the big takeaway from all of this, as one of the presenters points out, is that there is no substitute for an alert, attentive driver having control of the vehicle – something we advocate emphatically.
Considering how litigious and impervious to criticism the Chinese car industry has proven itself to be, it’s a great thing for consumers that this test was conducted. Given the rapid pace of improvement, we expect changes will be implemented quickly to address these poor results.
