Geely CK1, ZERO Stars from Latin NCAP

Earlier this week, we all learned of the establishment of Latin NCAP, an organization which, just as its European, American or Australian counterparts, will be in charge with assessing and rating the cars sold locally based on their performances when subjected to various crash tests.

Launched in the beginning of the week in Montevideo, Uruguay and Sao Paolo, Brazil, Latin NCAP went to work and already published its first results. And, by all intents and purposes, the results are astonishing. But not in the good sense.

Among the first cars tested by Latin NCAP, the Geely CK1 proved to be the easiest nut to crack (with a deformable barrier) ever made. The car tested, 1.3 petrol LHD with no airbags (we'll come back on this minor detail later), managed to get an amazing... zero stars for adult occupant protection.

The car, as did the adult dummy inside it, suffered great damages. The body shell crumpled and rendered the A-pillar, steering column and pedals useless. An interesting thing is that the car comes equipped with an airbag switch, but it has no airbag. Installing one, Latin NCAP says, will do nothing to earn some points for the vehicle.

In the case of the child occupant, Latin NCAP rated the CK1 with two stars, because the 18 month child restraint worked. The fact that it worked was a surprise for Latin NCAP, because the recommended child seats were incompatible with the belt system on the vehicle.

If you're interested in learning more about how the CK1 performed in the tests, as well as seeing results for other vehicles, click and follow this link. You'll know what to do once you get there.