Aiways U5 Euro NCAP crash test

3 stars. At least average occupant protection but not always equipped with the latest crash avoidance features

The passenger compartment of the U5 remained stable in the frontal offset test. Dummy readings indicated good protection of the knees and femurs of the driver and passenger. Aiways showed that a similar level of protection would be provided to occupants of different sizes and to those sitting in different positions. Protection of the front passenger was good for all critical body areas. In the full-width rigid barrier test, protection of all critical body regions was good for the driver and good or adequate for the rear passenger. In the side barrier impact, dummy readings indicated good protection of all body areas. However, the side curtain airbag had not deployed as designed, getting caught on the interior trim. The score for the driver's head was penalised and its protection rated as adequate. In the more severe side pole test, high readings of acceleration indicated that the airbag had not protected the head from the intruding structure, and its protection was rated as poor. As a result, all points for the pole test were lost. Aiways have since changed the timing of the airbag deployment to try to address the issue. Tests on the front seats and head restraints demonstrated good protection against whiplash injuries in the event of a rear-end collision. A geometric assessment of the rear seats indicated marginal whiplash protection. The standard-fit autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system performed well in tests of its functionality at the low speeds at which many whiplash injuries occur, with collisions avoided in most test scenarios.

In the frontal test, dummy readings indicated good or adequate protection for both child occupants. However, the 10 year dummy was not fully restrained during the whole impact and, as a consequence, no points were scored for this dummy. In the side barrier impact, all critical body areas were well protected for both dummies and the U5 scored maximum points in this part of the assessment. The front passenger airbag can be disabled to allow a rearward-facing child restraint to be used in that seating position. Clear information is provided to the driver regarding the status of the airbag and the system was rewarded. All of the restraint types for which the U5 is designed could be properly installed and accommodated in the car.

The bonnet provided almost completely good or adequate protection to the head of a struck pedestrian, with a few poor results recorded on the stiff windscreen pillars. The bumper provided good protection to pedestrians' legs but protection of the pelvis was poor at all test locations. The U5's AEB system can detect vulnerable road users like pedestrians and cyclists, as well as other vehicles. In tests, the system's response to pedestrians was good and to cyclists was marginal. However, the performance in the sub-component pedestrian impact tests was just short of the threshold at which the car would be eligible to score points for its AEB system.

The U5 has a seatbelt reminder system for the front and rear seats. The AEB system performed adequately in tests of its response to other vehicles at highway speeds. A lane support system warns the driver if the car is drifting out of lane and also applies the steering gently to correct the vehicle's path. The speed assistance system uses a camera to identify local speed limits. This information is presented to the driver who can then set the speed limiter as appropriate. However, system did not work robustly: many signs were not recognised and the information presented to the driver was inadequate.