Another Chinese car scores top marks for safety

GWM Haval’s Jolion small SUV has been awarded a full five-star ANCAP safety rating, but the new Hybrid variant remains without a score for now.

Speaking to CarsGuide, GWM Haval Australia head of marketing Steve Maciver confirmed that plans are currently underway with ANCAP to grade the hybrid version of the brand’s small SUV.

Mr Maciver couldn’t give a clear timeframe on when to expect the result for the Jolion Hybrid, but explained the new car missed the cut-off date for initial Jolion testing, having just launched locally last week.

Aside from the obvious differences in powertrains however, the Jolion Hybrid looks nearly identical to the petrol-powered barring a new grille and blue-badge detailing.

The Jolion Hybrid also features the same list of standard safety features such as autonomous emergency braking, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring, traffic sign recognition and adaptive cruise control.

And it’s this long list of standard safety equipment that has impressed ANCAP, who have awarded the petrol-powered Jolion a 92 per cent score in the safety assist category.

The adult occupant protection test also yielded a high score of 90 per cent, while in the child occupant protection examination, ANCAP handed the Jolion an 84 per cent score.

Meanwhile, the vulnerable road user protection examination yielded the lowest score for the Jolion at 64 per cent.

The maximum five-star score is applicable to all Jolion vehicles sold from May 2021 onwards.

ANCAP noted the Jolion’s result continues GWM Haval’s recent five-star streak, despite the tougher testing standards introduced in 2020.

“This five-star ANCAP safety rating for the Jolion is the third awarded to GWM under ANCAP's stringent 2020-2022 protocols,” said ANCAP Chief Executive Officer, Carla Hoorweg.

“There has been a significant amount of interest in a rating for this model and it has been shown to offer a high standard of safety.”