BYD Achieves 5-Star C-NCAP and a New High Score for Chinese Brands

SHENZHEN, PRC--September 13, 2013: The BYD F5 Suri had achieved notoriety for being the first remote-driving-enabled 5 seat, family sedan ever mass-produced (in 2012), but now China’s Automotive Technology and Research Center (CATARC), the national authority on vehicle safety, has released the latest nationwide C-NCAP evaluation results (published September 7, 2013). Not only did BYD attain a record high-score for all Chinese brands, but they also out-performed most international brands like Ford’s Kuga, Escape and the Volkswagen Santana. The previous record was a 56.3, and BYD’s high score of 56.5 earned them a Five-Star Performance rating on the F5 Suri and the title of “The Safest Car in China.” The BYD F5 Suri achieved outstanding performance in all four areas of the C-NCAP test especially for the body structure design and validity of its safety devices. The vehicle’s safety cage maintained shape during the entire collision testing process and the cockpit remained intact with no noticeable deformation to any of the structural pillars. At the moment of collision, the appropriate airbags deployed flawlessly and after the collision all four doors could still be easily opened from the outside or inside. Additionally, crash test dummies in both the front and rear seats remained in a normal position with seat belts intact and there was no detectable displacement of the child safety seat.

C-NCAP Impact Test Results for BYD AUTO-QJ7150W (F5 Suri)

Frontal Impact against Rigid Barrier 15.59 40% Overlap Impact against Deformable Barrier in front 15.10 Side Impact by Mobile Deformable Barrier 17.84 Seat Whiplash Test 4.00 Bonus Item Seatbelt Reminders on the Driver Side 0.50 Seatbelt Reminders on Front Passenger Side 1.00 Airbag and Air curtain 1.00 ISOFIX Device 0.50 ESC (ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL) 1.00 Total Score 56.50 Star Rating ★★★★★

The BYD F5 Suri scored 15.59 points for the frontal impact against a rigid barrier, 15.1 points for the 40% overlap impact against deformable barrier in front and 17.84 points for the side impact by mobile deformable barrier. Seatbelt pretensioners on the driver’s and front passenger’s seats, airbags and air curtains resulted in bonus scores added into the overall score. The F5 Suri is equipped with eight airbags, pre-crash seatbelt tensioning, intelligent and all-dimensional safety protection devices, including six all-round parking sensors, Parking Assist System, TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System), Bosch ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) + EBD (Electric Brake-force Distribution), Bosch ESP (Electronic Stability Program), BOS (Brake Override System) and utilizing integral side frames with 3H high-rigidity for the body structure and high-strength, steel anti-collision beams. Additionally, all the high-precision, sheet-metal presses for the outer body panels were designed and manufactured by BYD Japan’s Ogiwara factories (famed for manufacturing precision metal dies).

C-NCAP is the most advanced and relevant testing standard in the Chinese automotive market for safety and is recognized by independent observers who set similar standards in the long-established Euro-NCAP markets. C-NCAP enables Chinese consumers contrast vehicle functions and safety performance compared to others’ brands and models before making a purchase. By scoring 56.5 in the C-NCAP, the BYD F5 Suri is now recognized as the safest sedan made by a Chinese brand. This not only affirms BYD has the highest design and quality, but also indicates that BYD Auto’s R&D teams are well on their way to becoming a top-tier, world-class development team in safety design.