20 years ago, as the first wave of cars from Chinese brand started to be exported, there were issues of quality which left much to be desired. More worrying was protection for occupants which was poor, as evident from crash tests. In one widely reported case, a SUV was very severely damaged and of course failed the safety tests.
But the manufacturers took note of the shortcomings and improved their cars, and the Chinese government also began to demand that automakers raise safety standards. It even created a China New Car Assessment Program (C-NCAP) which mirrors the internationally recognised independent Euro NCAP.
Today’s models from Chinese brands have significantly higher safety standards and many have scored 4 or the maximum 5 stars in Euro NCAP’s testing in recent times. They not only do well in crash safety but also in other aspects such as active safety systems.
3 stars out of 5
However, not all are at the high level of safety as Euro NCAP found when it tested the Dongfeng BOX (known as Nammi 01 in China) at a China Automotive Technology & Research Centre (CATARC) facility. This is a small low-cost fully electric hatchback from Dongfeng Motor, a state-owned automaker. After going through the full range of tests, Euro NCAP’s assessment gave the model just 3 stars out of the maximum of 5.
According to the organisation’s report, during its frontal offset crash test – designed to replicate a car-to-car collision – multiple spot-welds failed on part of the vehicle’s bodyshell, compromising its safety. If spot welds fail during a crash, the structure can lose its integrity — increasing the risk of deformation around the cabin and reducing protection for occupants.
Frontal collision
The failure was revealed during Euro NCAP’s Mobile Progressive Deformable Barrier test, where 2 vehicles collide head-on with a partial overlap. Frontal collisions are responsible for more deaths and serious injuries than any other accident type. It is performed at 50 km/h and with a 50% overlap against a deformable barrier on an oncoming 1,400 kg trolley, also travelling at 50 km/h.
The overlap takes into consideration that a direct head-on collision is often less likely as drivers may swerve to try and avoid the accident. However, they may not be able to completely swerve out of the way and part of the front end collides. This type of collision is also very tough on the structure as it is offset, while the structural members are usually designed to optimally absorb impact forces if they occur head-on.
For Adult Occupant Protection, the BOX scored 69%. The unstable bodyshell raises concerns over the protection it would offer at higher speeds in the event of a similar accident. After the impact, the automatic door locking mechanism of the BOX also failed to unlock, potentially preventing rescuers from getting to the occupants or for the occupants to get out.
There were further causes for concern in this test. Insufficient pressure in the steering wheel airbag meant the driver’s head made contact with the wheel, and some parts of the dashboard structure posed a risk of injury to front occupants’ legs. Structures in the dashboard were considered to present a risk of injury to the legs of some occupants.
The report also said the BOX also lacks any countermeasures to prevent occupant-to-occupant impact between those sitting in the front, in the event of a side-impact collision.
Small size is not the issue
Euro NCAP noted that although the BOX is a small EV, there are other similarly sized compact EVs which it has tested that are able to score 4 or 5 stars. “It was a concern that the spot welds were compromised during our tests and could be further compromised in higher-speed accidents. Such a failure must be addressed to match competitor vehicles in what’s a fast-growing part of the EV market,” said Dr. Aled Williams, Euro NCAP Programme Director.
The BOX on display at the 2025 Malaysia Auto Show in May.Available in Malaysia
The BOX was officially launched in Malaysia in November 2024 and is priced from RM100,700 (although there was a batch of units that was less than RM90,000). Sales have been minimal so far and data.gov.my doesn’t show the model among the top 30 EVs after the first 9 months of the year.
Although it is on sale in Malaysia, ASEAN NCAP has not conducted any assessment on the BOX to date. Interestingly, China’s C-NCAP organisation assessed the Nammi 01 and gave it a 5-star score.
Some time back, there was an announcement that Dongfeng would assemble the BOX locally, with EP Manufacturing’s Peps-JV Melaka unit being the contract assembler.
