Dongfeng Nammi Box Fails To Test Euro NCAP, Only Wins Three Stars

BOX Dongfeng Testing Test. (Photo: Carscoops)

JAKARTA Cars from China are now increasingly recognized for their advanced technology and safety features. Some even managed to achieve perfect results in the tight hit test of Euro NCAP. However, not all models were able to show similar performance.

An example is the Dongfeng Nammi Box, a tiny electric car that is on the rise in the domestic market. Quoting Carscoops, Friday, October 17, this model only won three stars in the Euro NCAP safety test and received many important notes from the test institute.

As challengers for Renault 5 and BYD Dolphin, these results are certainly surprising. In the hit-front test offset, several welding points on the Nammi Box body structure failed to withstand the collision, thereby increasing the risk of deformation in the cabin area and lowering protection for passengers.

This test was carried out by means of an accident simulation at a speed of 50 km/hour, where the vehicle hit a barrier that could change shape with a 50 percent overlap of the scenario which is often the main cause of fatal road accidents.

Unfortunately, the Nammi Box problem doesn't stop there. Euro NCAP noted that the driver's airbag didn't expand with optimal pressure, so the driver's head still had the potential to hit the steering wheel. More seriously, the car door can't open automatically after the collision, which could hamper the passenger evacuation process by the rescue team.

In addition, Dongfeng was also criticized for not embedding additional safety systems, such as protection to prevent front passengers from colliding with each other in side clashes.

The final result, Nammi Box only recorded a score of 69 percent for adult passenger protection and 67 percent for pedestrians and other vulnerable road users a figure far behind modern small electric cars in Europe.

"Dongfeng Box does not meet other small electric vehicle safety standards tested by Euro NCAP," the organization wrote in a statement.

Euro NCAP also highlighted the failure of the welding point which could be a serious problem in high-speed accidents.

Such a failure must be fixed immediately so that Dongfeng can compete in the fast-growing electric vehicle segment, the agency added.