Zero-Star Crash Test: Watch This Chinese Truck Without Airbags Fail Horrifically
That’s bad for safety!
Normal Chinese cars sold domestically in Asia are generally considered to be pretty safe, with similar equipment to American, Japanese, or European cars. But Chinese cars sold in Africa, like the Great Wall Steed 5 pickup, are apparently a different story. Crashed by The Global New Car Assessment Programme (Global NCAP), it scored a shocking zero stars for safety. But when you look at the vehicle's safety features on paper—or indeed, watch the crash test—it becomes abundantly clear why that is.
You might imagine Chinese cars destined for the African market are designed to be inexpensive, and for the most part, you're right. Known as the "Wingle 5," at least in Kenya, a base model costs $14,627, which is actually a bit more than you might expect. For instance, at $15,135, the cheapest car in the United States is the Mitsubishi Mirage and although it's considered by some to be extremely dinky, it's significantly safer than the Steed 5, scoring much better on the more thorough Euro NCAP safety testing.
That's because the Steed 5 is lacking so many modern safety features. It does have seatbelts, which is a great start, but they don't have pre-tensioners, as almost all others do. There are also no airbags, period. No driver airbag, no passenger airbag—nothing. The Great Wall Steed 5 doesn't even have ABS.
There is a silver lining, however. If you're a kiddo in a properly belted-in child seat—the Steed 5 has no Isofix anchors—then you have a much greater chance of avoiding injury as compared to the adult passengers. That's because the Steed 5's safety rating for children is one (1) star. The passenger also has a greater chance of avoiding injury in an accident, likely due to the fact that there's no steering column in front of them.
The Steed 5 is not for sale in the United States, though it is available for sale in Europe, albeit with more safety features. It doesn't get great reviews, often being described as "agricultural" by auto journalists in the U.K. I think that's perhaps a little unfair to the farm equipment.
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