The Xpeng X9 has just been awarded a five-star safety rating from the Australasian New Car Assessment Program. Interestingly, the full report revealed that the X9 was given a relatively low 56% score in Safe Driving, but achieved above-average marks in the other tests.
As you may have already inferred, its Safe Driving assessment did not deter it from a full five-star certification—so let’s break it down further. ANCAP did commend Xpeng for adding seatbelt reminders and a child-presence detection system, but when it came to the X9’s driver-monitoring system, its performance left some to be desired.
Specifically, the system could spot driver fatigue and other distractions, but could not detect phone use. ANCAP also flagged the X9’s overreliance on the main touchscreen for important driving controls.
OTHER STORIES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED:
Meet the Stockman, Chery’s diesel-sipping plug-in pickup truck
The Mazda Fan Festa shows exactly why Mazda has such a loyal following
Where the X9 really shone was in the Crash Avoidance, Crash Protection, and Post Crash tests. For Crash Avoidance, the MPV scored 82%, thanks to its autonomous emergency braking functions. The lane-departure system also delivered promising results, as did the low-speed collision avoidance function.
ANCAP gave respectable 91% ratings to the X9 in Crash Protection and Post Crash. The former result was due to the X9’s comprehensive set of airbags and strong level of protection in crash tests.
In its final assessment, the fully electric X9 showed “effective battery voltage isolation and post-crash fire risk management.” The car’s seatbelt buckles and exterior door openings were also found to be operable after the crash tests.
As the X9 is a relatively new car in the Philippines, this certification should help it get its credentials up with car buyers. If you want to learn more about the X9, click on these blue words.
