ZERO, nought, nada, kosong, coke without sugar. This is the rating given the the NETA V compact crossover car thingy by the ASEAN NCAP. This, to say the least, disappointing no-star rating is a historic result for ASEAN NCAP as the NETA V is the first ever vehicle tested by the folks at ASEAN NCAP to achieve such a result under the current ASEAN NCAP 2021-2025 protocol. So, a massive failure in crash testing for the Chinese made NETA V.
This is 2025 (almost) and not 2005, In an era where there are more snowflakes than real men and women, this type of zero-star rating should not happen. This is the age where parents scream murder at anything remotely dangerous that could happen to their children as well an age where lots of ESG related stuff spewing out from the mouths of company representatives, so never did I think there would be a car manufacturer in 2025 making cars that could relatively be made out of cardboard or Papier-mâché.
This is ridiculous in this day and age.
Of course, you could read this as that the NETA V is a 'man's car'. As the NETA V was made to the specifications of the 'good ol' days', the 1960s, where the heroes smoke three packs of cigarettes' per day and drink lots of whisky (and never refuse a free drink). An age where heroes, or anti-heroes go out with a bang (think The Wild Bunch or Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kind), so crashing in a NETA V could be the same thing.
I personally won't be caught in one after this test result. While I recognise, in my now older age and that I have some wisdom due to that fact, and that I have slowed down on my rants, I say that I recognise that there are people in the Malaysian industry working in NETA, but this is no excuse. The product is bad from a safety point of view and if you factor in bad Malaysian drivers who like speeding on highways over the speed limit (or even in town). It isn't wrong for me to say that I am not touching one even with a 10 meter pole.
Even if the NETA V is considered cheap at under RM80,000 as a brand new EV car, I would stay away. There are better and cheaper new cars out there and the price of one's health (and now the price of future resale value of the V) could be too high to swallow.
NETA. I am actually disapointed with you. It could be no wonder that NETA is temporarily stopping production and cutting staff salary over in China. All of this could, and should, be read together when you want to put your hard earned money into the purchase of a car.
The press release is down below.
Kajang, Malaysia, 6 December 2024 – The New Car Assessment Program for Southeast
Asian Countries (ASEAN NCAP) today released its latest assessment result on the NETA V
model. The model which is the first electric vehicle (EV) brand tested at the MIROS Provisional
CRASE Crash Centre (PC3) in Malaysia made a very disappointing outcome with a Zero-Star
result, making it the first model to have a zero star rating under the ASEAN NCAP 2021–2025
protocol.
The tested NETA V is sold in Malaysia, achieved an overall score of 28.55 points in the
assessment with 7.89 points for Adult Occupant Protection (AOP) category, 13.51 points
for Child Occupant Protection (COP), 7.14 points for Safety Assist (SA) and 0.00 point
for Motorcyclist Safety (MS) category.
The single-variant EV model that is also marketed in Brunei, Indonesia and Thailand offers 2
airbags, Seatbelt Reminder System (SBR) for driver only, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) and
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) as standard. The model underwent the frontal offset crash
test and side impact test under the AOP category. Unfortunately, the NETA V made a
disappointing performance in which it obtained zero point for the frontal offset test with the
driver received poor protection on the head, neck, chest and right lower leg. In the side impact
test, the model only achieved 6.31 points over 8.00 points with the dummy received marginal
protection to the chest. Furthermore, the model is not fitted with any Head Protection
Technology (HPT) equipment, which has resulted in it not earning any points for the
assessment.
In the dynamic assessment for the COP category, the NETA V performed well in both frontal
offset and side impact tests. However, the model received poor points for the Child Restraint
System (CRS) installation and vehicle based assessments. Despite having ISOFIX and top
tether fitment, the model is unable to have a friendly fitment installation to more than half of
the list of CRS that ASEAN NCAP recommended.
The new EV hatchback did not offer Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) for City and Inter-
Urban, Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Lane Keep Assist (LKA) and Lane Departure
Warning (LDW). In addition, all the technologies that ASEAN NCAP is assessing under the
MS category such as Blind Spot Technology (BST), Auto High Beam (AHB) and Pedestrian
Protection (PP) are not available in the model.
Based on the tests that ASEAN NCAP conducted, the frontal offset test showed poor
protection to the frontal occupants starting with weak body structure and compromised
restraint system which greatly endangering the safety of the car occupants. The seatbelts
equipped for both of the car’s frontal occupants do not have any retractor pre-tensioner and
load limiters. Hence, without these crucial technologies for the seatbelt, it had caused higher
risk injuries to the tested dummy to be in contact with the steering wheel or airbag, as proven
through this test. Steering wheel displacement is one of the modifiers that ASEAN NCAP
found post-crash apart from integrity of passenger compartment and A-pillar displacement.
Detailed information regarding the passive safety and active safety performances of the NETA
V is accessible from the model’s result report at ASEAN NCAP website.
Ownership of EV has recently become a trend among vehicle consumers across the South
East Asian region. The stylish design and enticing devices equipped inside the cars have
certainly been an attraction for road users to purchase the vehicle. Nevertheless, safety
features equipped in the cars are also critical points to be considered when purchasing a car.
NETA V disappointing result in ASEAN NCAP assessment is a reflection for other EV brands
to not compromise basic safety equipment in cars. A basic safety equipment such as retractor
pre-tensioner and load limiter for the seatbelts can result in significant outcomes for the safety
of the vehicle occupants. With high competition amongst EV manufacturers, it is important for
manufacturers to place safety as the main priority when developing a vehicle. We at MIROS
and ASEAN NCAP encourage all manufacturers, especially from the EV brands, to make
safety as priority as we aim for the global target of halving road fatalities across the region.
The current ASEAN NCAP 2021–2025 assessment protocol encompasses four assessment
domains, with AOP covering 40.00 points of the overall score, and COP, SA, and MS each
contributing 20.00 points of the overall score.
No comments:
Post a Comment