In recent years (happily, it should be emphasized!), the norm has been that most new cars subjected
to Euro NCAP safety tests receive a rating of four or five stars, even when the organization has increased the levels of demand in its rigorous assessment tests, as will happen again in 2026. However, from time to time, there are models that do not manage to pass the “exam” with distinction – and this time, it was the Dongfeng Box that recorded a less positive result, achieving only three stars.
The main “issue” was the offset frontal impact test (designed to replicate a frontal collision between two cars), in which several weld points of the bodywork failed, thereby compromising the safety offered by the 100% electric utility vehicle produced by one of the largest Chinese manufacturers, as such performance can lead to the structure losing its integrity, increasing the risk of deformation around the cabin, and reducing the protection of the respective occupants. In this exercise, vehicles are made to collide at 50 km/h, with a 50% offset, against a deformable barrier moving at the same speed, simulating the type of accident that is statistically responsible for the highest number of deaths and serious injuries.
Thus, the Box did not exceed 69% in the protection of adult occupants, with Euro NCAP emphasizing that all indications suggest that the consequences of its structural deficiencies will result in even lower levels of protection for those on board in the event of a collision at higher speeds. However, Euro NCAP’s concerns did not stop there: insufficient pressure in the driver’s airbag led to the respective head making contact with the steering wheel; some elements of the front panel support structure put the legs of front passengers at risk of injury; and the absence of measures to prevent front seat occupants from colliding with each other in the event of a side impact was also detected. As such, Euro NCAP recommends that the state-controlled Chinese manufacturer quickly resolve this situation, at a time when the demand for 100% electric models offered at minimally moderate prices is increasing.
But it was not only the Dongfeng that was assessed in this round of tests. Among the new models tested, the DS Nº 8 received a four-star rating, having received five stars for the Audi Q3, BMW X3, Ebro s700, Ebro s800, Hongqi EHS5, IM M5, Mazda 6e, MS MGS6 EV – and also the Cadillac Optiq, which Euro NCAP highlights for seeming to reflect a new approach from American manufacturers to the issue of safety, since, in the past, their models have not always performed well in evaluations. As for the models reevaluated according to the 2025 protocols, three stars for the VW T-Roc, and five stars for Skoda Octavia, VW Golf, and VW ID.4. The Chery Tiggo 7 and Tiggo 8 were also reevaluated, which, last July, recorded a problem with the rear curtain airbag, thus failing to protect children in the event of a side impact, a situation that was again observed in new tests conducted later – but now, the Chinese brand seems to have finally satisfactorily resolved the issue, and its two SUVs have achieved the desired five stars.
