China is the largest producer of vehicles in the world with 19.3 million cars and light trucks made in 2012 alone, almost twice the 10.3 million made in the US, the second highest producer. The bulk of the Chinese-made cars are for domestic buyers with fewer than one million exported for sale. One of the biggest issues surrounding Chinese cars is safety, as exhibited by the Brilliance BS6 saloon, which scored an abysmal one star in the Euro NCAP test, a rating that effectively barred the car being sold in Europe.
Things may be about to change however, with the news that the Qoros 3 saloon has not only scored itself a full five-star rating but (according to Qoros) also has the best overall performance of all vehicles assessed so far in 2013. Euro NCAP does not divulge overall results so it is difficult to compare the Qoros to a European rival, but a 95 per cent score for adult safety (which counts for fifty per cent of the overall score) certainly seems to back up the Chinese manufacturer's claim.
The five-star rating is impressive enough, but what is even more remarkable is the fact that the 3 is Qoros's first production car - (supposedly) beating the established car makers on the first attempt. I'd like to be the first to welcome our Chinese overlords.
Anything else?
Also racking up five-star ratings in the latest round of Euro NCAP crash tests were the Kia Carens MPV, Lexus IS 300h and Mazda6 saloons - though the latter was marked poorly for its sharp bonnet crease, which was judged to offer poor protection to a pedestrian's pelvis in the case of a collision.