Back in Jan' 2007 there was a motor show in Erfurt.

One of the cars on display was a Brilliance BS6

a brand new manufacturer & model from China

The local dealer supported the launch by having demo cars on display in the local shopping centres too.

Here's a contemporary press report ...

Brilliance BS6: Die Chinesen kommen - laut, durstig, bieder - SPIEGEL ONLINE - Nachrichten - Auto

Fast forward to this week, I saw a fully stickered up, dealer demo parked in town.

I've yet to see one move or one that doesn't belong to the dealer....

Dealer website link with spec...

Autohaus Rumrich: Brilliance BS6

Watch that and tell me you'd sit in one let alone buy one.

Watch that and tell me you'd sit in one let alone buy one.

Yes beat me to it. I was just thinking "is that not the Chinese car that folded like a coke can".

Watch that and tell me you'd sit in one let alone buy one.

I have sat in one! It wasn't moving, it wasn't particularly inspiring though.

I asked if they planned a diesel, they said no, I said no thanks!

Obviously I hadn't seen the NCAP video then, although the firm's website says it'S improved the car is 65 areas to get a 3 star rating now.

Revised car on youtube

It looks like an old Daewoo Nubira or something. lol

That's a huge improvement in how it stands up in a crash there!

Never even heard of one let alone seen one. I find it weird how they only offer it with one engine!

Phil

Well it's an improvement, but I notice they don't show inside of the car, so there is nothing to show there isn't significant intrusion.

I still wouldn't touch it being as it only gets 3 stars.

In some of their press blurb it says these are made in the same factory that BMW China make 3 & 5 series, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they use the same grades of materials. The engine is an old Mitsiubishi one made under licence.

The engine is an old Mitsiubishi one made under licence.

Expect noisy valves then later on in it's life.

Funny how they use the fact that it's made in the same factory as BMW's to make it sound better.

Just looked at the interior and it is awful. My dash looks less cheap and plasticy than that!

Phil

In some of their press blurb it says these are made in the same factory that BMW China make 3 & 5 series, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they use the same grades of materials. The engine is an old Mitsiubishi one made under licence.

I've heard they use the same paint manufacturer, but to be fair even if they were made in the same factory one is made to a good design and one to a much less good design.

I still wouldn't touch it being as it only gets 3 stars.

Some of the funnest cars I've driven are the ones with poor EuroNCAP ratings Btw, Panda is "only" 3 stars but it does mean it's not weighed down by lots of air bags or interfering t/c systems

Chris

If you can imagine what a typical manufacturers stand looks like at a big motor show, this was the Brilliance effort (and I use that term loosely) at Geneva this year:

Some cars parked on the carpet

Some of the funnest cars I've driven are the ones with poor EuroNCAP ratings Btw, Panda is "only" 3 stars but it does mean it's not weighed down by lots of air bags or interfering t/c systems

Chris

I totally understand what you're getting at and that's all ok, but i can't see a big "luxury" car like that being good fun.

If it was a westfield I'd go for it.

I don't think you can compare the BS6 and the Panda based on 'they both get 3 stars'. Small cars are always going to struggle in NCAP tests, which only makes the performance of some (Renault?) all the more remarkable. The trusty Fabia gets 4

But a car the size of what, a Mondeo? Getting 3 stars? Shocking. But they're clever these Chinese, and no doubt they'll crack it a darn sight quicker than we did.

The hilarious bit is the first crash test, talk about "all the gear, no idea" Airbags going off all over the place and the chassis is made of cheese.

You know with EuroNCAP that a 5* supermini is not comparable to a 5* large saloon?

The comparison only really works for comparable cars.

Euro NCAP - For safer cars | New rating scheme 2009: Five stars impossible without ESC

Editors’ notes

1. The front impact test is conducted at 64km/h (40mph) into an offset deformable barrier, the side impact test 50km/h (30mph), the pole test at 29km/h (18mph) and the pedestrian tests at 40km/h (25mph).

2. Comparison between Size Categories: It is essential that no attempt is made to compare the ratings between cars in different segments or mass groups. The frontal crash test aims to measure the performance of the car impacting another car of similar mass. There is no capability to determine what would happen if cars of widely different masses impact each other. It is not primarily the mass difference that has the effect, but the effect that mass has on the structural stiffness combined with the relative height of the structures from the ground.

I did not know that.

Edit: And I thought it was about how likely you were to get out of one alive in the event of hitting/being hit. While ESC may well protect inept drivers from making certain mistakes, it doesn't do you much good when you DO hit the oncoming car/bridge/whatever. Seems a bit daft to me, but what do I know.

Edited 26 August, 200916 yr by Kaiserb_uk

Iwhich only makes the performance of some (Renault?) all the more remarkable.

Fiat themselves managed a 5* with the 500, so I'd expect the successor to the Panda to probably carry a similar rating...

With regards to the comparison of the classes, isn't the point of avoiding the comparison to prevent people saying "if a 5* supermini crashed into a 3* exec saloon then the supermini would come off better because it's a higher rating". Which may not be the case due to variances in the objects colliding - the 3* car may fold in half and kills all it's occupants in the process (thus affecting it's start-rating), but if the entire front section is very solid and doesn't collapse then it will do more damage to whatever it hits.

Whereas if you crashed the same cars into a wall you actually probably would fair better in a 5* supermini than a 3* exec, as that's the sort of test which determines the rating...

Rob.