Brilliance Quality Is Still Lacking

Chinese Automaker Retests Its Failed Sedan

Let’s face it: when it comes to building reliable and safe vehicles, the People’s Republic of China has a lot to learn.

Brilliance China Auto (or Brilliance) was proven to be quite daft when they had one of their sedans tested, the BS 6 (good name!), and it failed miserably. Scoring just a “1″ on a scale ranging from 1 to 5 for the Euro NCAP cars safety test, the BS 6 quickly became the poster child for crappy Chinese products.

The first test was completed in June 2007 and the wreck it produced was nothing short of a disaster. The two frontal airbags deployed, but that didn’t stop a crash test dummy from hitting its head on the dashboard. Moreover, the doors jammed shut, pinning the passengers inside, and the windshield worked its way loose and was shot over the front of the car. The following YouTube video depicts the carnage:

After the test, the engineers from Brilliance met with German engineers to seek their advice on how to improve the car. Less than three months later the modified car was readied and a second test was held where Brilliance’s safety score jumped to a 3. Now, before you marvel at the score, consider this: even the tiny Smart Fortwo scores a “4″ and quite a few American, Japanese, and European models routinely get top scores.

Check out this next video for the updated Brilliance test:

Related to this second crash the China Car Times published an article titled, “Brilliance BS6, not as lethal as before.” I commend the Chinese for their accuracy and their honesty, but when it comes to my cars, safety is paramount.

Last year, I wrote an article detailing Brilliance’s trouble and I’m sure I’ll come across more information in the future about this company that should be given plenty of press.

We’re not likely to see the first Chinese imports before 2010, but when they do arrive, I hope their safety and quality standards measure up. If not, you’d best avoid what even the Chinese press recognizes as a lethal car.