Some of the latest EVs to land in Australia from Chinese car makers have received the top score of 5 stars from ANCAP safety rating. The Leapmotor C10, the Xpeng G6 and the Zeekr X have all received the top scores due to the various safety features and technologies offered in these SUVs.
Starting with the Leapmotor, which achieved full marks in the side impact and oblique pole tests, the new mid-sized electric SUV also performed well for child occupant protection, receiving 87%. Vulnerable road users and safety assistance also received 77%.
The Leapmotor C10 safety rating applies to both variants of the C10. The Style variant starts at $45,888 before on-roads, while the top-spec Design variant starts at $49,888.
The Xpeng G6, which was first introduced to Australia in the second half of this year at the Melbourne electric SUV show, has also received 5 star ANCAP rating.
Features such as its collision avoidance system received high scores, as well as the autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system’s ability to perform with other vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists on the road.
On driver and passenger safety, Xpeng G6 also scored highly in the frontal offset, side, and oblique pole tests. The centre airbag also prevented injuries for those sitting in the front seats, but in the side impact tests, minor head contact was noted in the occupant-to-occupant scenario.
The Xpeng G6 has been a very popular car at the recent EV expos in Melbourne and Sydney. First customer deliveries around the country have now started with a pricing being announced in September, starting at $54,800 before on-roads.
This week, Xpeng’s local distributor also announced the opening of multiple retail locations for customers to experience the G6 and Xpeng’s other products.
These are on top of the Sydney flagship store, which is set to open before Christmas, and include Wollongong, NSW, Port Melbourne and North Coburg in Victoria. TrueEV also plans to open another 20 Xpeng locations by the end of 2025
Zeekr X, which entered the market in the second half of 2024, also received a very positive reception and scored 5 stars from ANCAP.
Maximum points were given to the X in occupant protection during a side impact test while child, vulnerable road users and safety assist all received over 80%.
Zeekr X has also seen quite a bit of interest since its launch and customer deliveries of the model, which starts at $56,900 before on-roads, have started. Multiple other models from the brand are expected to arrive on local roads, starting with the Zeekr 009 ultra-luxury people mover.
Carla Hoorweg, ANCAP CEO said: “There are close to 100 current five-star ANCAP ratings for alternate-powered vehicles, with most manufacturers proving that new models can be both safe and green”.
For all three brands in the local market, this will be the first ANCAP safety result they have been awarded, giving them a big tick for the safety these vehicles will offer Australian drivers.
ANCAP Results for these three electric SUVs:
- Adult Occupant Protection – 89%
- Child Occupant Protection – 87%
- Vulnerable Road User Protection – 77%
- Safety Assist – 77%
- Adult Occupant Protection – 88%
- Child Occupant Protection – 86%
- Vulnerable Road User Protection – 81%
- Safety Assist – 80%
- Adult Occupant Protection – 91%
- Child Occupant Protection – 87%
- Safety Vulnerable Road User Protection – 84%
- Safety Assist – 84%
Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.