Baojun 730 Nets Five-Star Safety Rating In C-NCAP Safety Testing

The Baojun 730, a product of the joint partnership between SAIC-GM-Wuling, has become the first vehicle priced below 160,000 RMB ($16,000 USD) to net a top five-star safety rating from the China New Car Assessment Program (C-NCAP).

The seven-seat MPV garnered a maximum score of 18 points in side impact tests and an overall score of 54.4 points in crash tests performed by the China Automotive Techology and Research Center (CATARC).

The company says the buffer zone in the engine compartment and the application of thermoforming technology on the B-pillars and door panels helps protect occupants in the event of a frontal or side impact crash. Plus, more than 60 percent of the body structure is made from high-strength steel, which also provides a considerable amount of rigidity in the event of collision.

Baojun says active and passive safety functions like Bosch’s Electronic Stability Program (ESP), reverse radar, reverse cameras and even the Continental tires with “enhanced ground grip”, also help round out the 730’s safety regime.

The 730 was created to address the needs of growing Chinese families and its already found more than more than 250,000 buyers since it was launched last July.

The Baojun brand itself was established just four years before that, in 2010, as a low-cost alternative to GM’s other in-market brands like Chevrolet and Buick.