ANCAP determines recently launched plug-in hybrid here a good performer overall.

NATIONAL crash tester ANCAP has determined a BYD plug-in hybrid car recently launched here is worthy of a top rating, but with some caveats.

Announcement of a five star score for the BYD Sealion 6 came today.

ANCAP - full name, Australasian New Car Assessment Programme - is part-funded by the NZ Government and is our primary crash test evaluator, though sister organisation European NCAP has the same level of recognition.

They worked together to decide the score announced today, insofar that ANCAP says the score it has delivered is based on results obtained from Euro NCAP testing of a battery electric equivalent sold in Europe.

It says additional tests on PHEV variants were also undertaken, including an additional frontal offset test and an oblique pole test.

Results from the frontal offset test of the PHEV variant mirrored those achieved by the battery electric variant, with high levels of driver and front passenger protection, ANCAP says.

Full points were recorded for critical body regions with the exception of the driver’s lower legs which were assessed as Adequate.

In assessing vehicle-to-vehicle compatibility, the BYD Sealion 6 presented a moderate risk to oncoming vehicles in the frontal offset test. A 3.82 point penalty out of 8.00 points was applied.

In the full width frontal test, maximum points were achieved for protection of the rear passenger. Protection of the driver’s chest was considered ‘adequate’.

In the oblique pole test conducted on the PHEV, Good protection was offered to the head, abdomen and pelvis of the driver. An ‘adequate’ level of protection was recorded for the driver’s chest. This chest protection result is slightly poorer than that achieved by the battery electric variant, which was assessed as ‘good’.

The car is fitted with an autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system capable of detecting and reacting to vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.

Testing of this system showed a ‘good’ performance in AEB Pedestrian, AEB Cyclist and AEB Motorcycle test scenarios, with collisions avoided or mitigated in most tests. Performance in reverse (AEB Backover) scenarios was considered ‘marginal’. The Sealion 6 is fitted with a cyclist anti-dooring system that provides information if a bicycle is approaching from the rear, however the information was not sufficiently early to be awarded points for this function, ANCAP says.

BYD’s Dolphin, Seal and Atto 3 cars also hold five star scores from ANCAP.