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It Took Geely and SEA for Smart to Earn Its First Five Stars on Euro NCAP

Not long ago, people joked about Chinese cars as unreliable or copycats. Despite that, automotive journalists used to bet how long these carmakers would take to become competitive on an international level. Apart from acting in Euro NCAP tests and expanding sales to Europe in 2022, these companies are now showing how European carmakers can get there. Just check what Geely did for smart.
Smart #1 was the first vehicle from the brand to earn five stars at Euro NCAP: thank Geely for that 11 photos
Photo: Euro NCAP
Smart #1 was the first vehicle from the brand to earn five stars at Euro NCAP: thank Geely for thatSmart #1 was the first vehicle from the brand to earn five stars at Euro NCAP: thank Geely for thatSmart #1 was the first vehicle from the brand to earn five stars at Euro NCAP: thank Geely for thatSmart #1 was the first vehicle from the brand to earn five stars at Euro NCAP: thank Geely for thatSmart #1 was the first vehicle from the brand to earn five stars at Euro NCAP: thank Geely for thatSmart #1 was the first vehicle from the brand to earn five stars at Euro NCAP: thank Geely for thatSmart #1 was the first vehicle from the brand to earn five stars at Euro NCAP: thank Geely for thatSmart #1 was the first vehicle from the brand to earn five stars at Euro NCAP: thank Geely for thatSmart #1 was the first vehicle from the brand to earn five stars at Euro NCAP: thank Geely for thatSmart #1 was the first vehicle from the brand to earn five stars at Euro NCAP: thank Geely for that
The German brand was created by Mercedes-Benz in 1994 and started selling cars in 1998, but none of its vehicles ever achieved five stars in the traffic safety organization’s tests while Mercedes-Benz ran the show. The company only got there after Geely gave one of its cars the Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA). It is almost ironic that this car is called #1.

The best score smart ever obtained from Euro NCAP was four stars, which it received four times: in 2005 with the forfour, in 2007 with the fortwo, and in 2014 with new generations of both models. The best one before the #1 was the 2014 fortwo, with protection levels of 82% for Adult Occupants, 80% for Child Occupants, 56% for Vulnerable Road Users, and 56% for Safety Assist.

The smart #1 obtained much higher protection levels in all four evaluations: 96% in Adult Occupant, 89% in Child Occupant, 71% in Vulnerable Road Users, and 88% in Safety Assist. Although the improvement was in all areas, it seems that Safety Assist scores prevented the brand from getting five stars in the past and decisively sealed the deal in the latest evaluation.

It is very ironic that Geely managed to place smart in a safety level that Mercedes-Benz either did not want to achieve or could not with the budget it had for these cars. Considering that Geely was the company that saved smart from the axe, the second hypothesis is the one that seems more likely. In a way, being on the brink of extinction may be all smart needed to blossom – at least if its sales volumes improve as much as its safety scores.
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About the author: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo
Gustavo Henrique Ruffo profile photo

Motoring writer since 1998, Gustavo wants to write relevant stories about cars and their shift to a sustainable future.
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