The New Car Assessment Programme for Latin America and the Caribbean, Latin NCAP, publishes today the eighth and final crash tests results for 2024 with the exciting first Chinese manufacturer to achieve five stars for the BYD Dolphin Plus. The model is also the first Electric Vehicle (EV) to achieve the top rating in Latin NCAP’s history.
The BYD Dolphin Plus, produced in China, achieved five stars. The Dolphin Plus that offers 7 airbags, Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and ADAS as standard, achieved 92.60% in Adult Occupant, 93.17% in Child Occupant, 77.03% in Pedestrian Protection and Vulnerable Road Users and 85.17% in Safety Assist.
The BYD Dolphin Plus, which for the time being is only sold in the Brazilian market, was assessed in frontal impact, side impact, side pole impact, whiplash, pedestrian protection, ESC, Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) for Vulnerable Road Users (VRU), AEB City, AEB Interurban, Lane Support Systems (LSS), Speed Assist Systems (SAS) and Blind Spot Detection, achieving the five stars for the compact 5 door hatchback.
The Dolphin Plus showed, in general, good performance with stable structure and footwell areas and adequate to good adult chest protection in the frontal impact. The model also showed overall good protection in side impact and marginal protection to the chest in the pole impact, good child occupant protection and good ADAS systems with full volume of units fitted with them as standard. The passive Pedestrian Protection could be better but combined with the AEB VRU showed good protection and good results. The model offers LSS, but the performance was not good enough to score points. The car does not offer SAS with manual setup and the performance of the Intelligent Speed Assist (ISA) was not enough to score points. The model was tested as a voluntary decision of the manufacturer and it is only valid for the Dolphin Plus model.
Latin NCAP tests the most basic passive safety specification of the models and strongly recommends to buy those versions equipped with tested good performing ADAS technologies, such as AEB, which in this case, come standard fitted.
Alejandro Furas, Secretary General of Latin NCAP said:
“Congratulations to BYD for becoming the first Chinese manufacturer, the first Chinese made car and the first EV to achieve five stars in Latin NCAP. This result represents a milestone for the Programme, as Chinese cars have been long questioned about their poor safety, in accordance with Latin NCAP tests results. The BYD Dolphin Plus is a wakeup call for the local industry in the region, as it is a promising and a good fit for its performance, price and EV capabilities for the Latin American market, becoming a solid competitor to other locally produced models of similar prices but with less technology and safety levels. Latin NCAP encourages other manufacturers to follow BYD’s Dolphin Plus and calls all governments to bring mandatory star rating safety labelling in support of independent and clear information to consumers”.
David Ward, Executive President of Towards Zero Foundation said:
“This is a pivotal result for BYD, with the Dolphin Plus achieving the coveted five-star Latin NCAP rating, the first Chinese manufacturer to do so. It is very impressive to see a new generation of Electric Vehicles from China, designed to combine high levels of both safety and environmental performance, now reaching the Latin American market”.
Stephan Brodziak, Latin NCAP Chairman said:
“This achievement by BYD is a significant turning point for vehicle safety in Latin America and the Caribbean. Despite that there’s still room for improvement in pedestrian protection, it demonstrates that advanced safety and sustainability can go hand in hand. It is important that consumers keep in mind that this result does not mean that all EVs are necessary safer, nor all Chinese made cars are safer. We hope this achievement serves as a call to action for governments and manufacturers across the region to prioritize higher safety standards and transparency for consumers. Mandatory car safety labeling, clear crash-test ratings, and the widespread adoption of advanced safety features are critical steps toward reducing road fatalities. BYD’s Dolphin Plus is a prime example of how combining innovation with safety can deliver meaningful change, and we encourage other manufacturers to follow this path”.
Saul Billingsley, Executive Director of the FIA Foundation said:
“The FIA Foundation welcomes this five-star rating for the BYD Dolphin Plus. It proves that safety can be paramount for both Chinese imports and electric vehicles, as it receives Latin NCAPs first top rating for both categories. This is a mandate for manufacturers and proof for consumers that there is no need to compromise safety in an evolving car market”.
SOURCE: Latin NCAP
