HAVAL has become the first Chinese manufacturer to successfully complete an all-new rollover safety test with its H6 medium SUV.
The new rollover test was conducted on October 13 at the China Automotive Technology and Research Centre (CATARC) in Tianjin.
It was the first public demonstration of the new rollover crash test regime – claimed by CATARC to use criteria more stringent than that used by European and US crash labs. The event attracted a crowd of more than 200 people including industry experts, media and consumers.
CATARC spokesperson Mr. Zhang Jianwei said that, statistically, rollover crashes constituted only three to five per cent of all the accidents.
"However, the casualty rates from these incidents can be as high as 33 per cent.
"Rollover crashes are typically more likely to occur among vehicles with higher ground clearance. Given the growing popularity of SUVs in markets such as the US and Australia, the safety performance of rollover testing is critical," said Mr. Zhang.
CATARC officially started research into rollover safety in 2015 and have tailored a test specific to Chinese road conditions, but representative for global recognition.
The test is conducted at 50 km/h and adds a H3 dummy, representing a short adult female, providing valuable data for safety protection performance.
The new HAVAL H6 performed well in the test, rated over four major criteria:
- Body structure: the first layer of vehicle safety protection. Even with a full-length panoramic sunroof, the H6 maintained excellent body integrity, with no bending of the A or B-Pillar. In addition, the doors remained closed, demonstrating one of the clear benefits of using laser welding to deliver a strong – and safe – body shell.
- Restraints: the restraint system plays a major role in protecting occupants during a rollover crash. The new H6 performed well in this regard with all occupants safely restrained and avoiding injury to the head and body.
- Injury: occupant damage value records the level of injury suffered by the driver and passengers. Data from the H6 test revealed excellent results for both test dummies, demonstrating the high safety levels on the vehicle in a rollover crash.
- Crashworthiness: at the completion of the test, the new H6 did not require tools to open any doors, the restraint systems could be operated normally and there were no leaks from the fuel tank.
"The performance of the HAVAL H6 in this demanding test validates its superior safety performance and demonstrates the benefits to all customers of its global expansion program," said Mr. Zhang.
"It also clearly demonstrates Chinese safety engineering has reached a standard that meets the requirements of any market in the world."
CATARC is a leading technical and research organisation founded in 1985 to support multiple Chinese government authorities in the areas of vehicle technological standards, policy and regulation formation, including NCAP.
It currently houses nearly three thousand employees, including more than one thousand technical staff.