Great Wall ute crashes to earth in ANCAP test

Great Wall has acknowledged the need for a "dramatic improvement" in its safety package following a two-star crash score for the new Steed ute.

The brand held high expectations for its Toyota HiLux rival, which built on the previous-generation V240 pick-up by adding electronic stability control and a fairly comprehensive suite of six airbags.

But local testing by ANCAP found structural flaws in the ute, which exhibited "excessive footwell deformation and pedal displacement" and "separation of footwell panels", which contributed to a higher than usual risk of lower limb injuries for front occupants.

The Steed's score was not helped by a lack of active driver aids such as autonomous emergency braking or lane keeping assistance that are available in increasing numbers of new cars.

ANCAP had a dig at Great Wall's decision to market the Steed as "all new" when "there has been little change to the vehicle's structure", while also pointing out the omission of top tether child anchor points that renders the vehicle "not suitable for transporting young children".

The Steed's whiplash protection was described as "marginal", subjecting a driver's head to 59g of force – well more than the 46.5g figure recorded by Hyundai's five-star i30 hatch in the latest batch of ANCAP ratings.

James Goodwin, chief executive of ANCAP, says the result is disappointing for consumers and the brand.

Great Wall Motors Australia spokesman Andrew Ellis says the company is disappointed by the result and is working to rectify the issue.

"We have sent all the data to our engineering team in head office and set up a response team to investigate what needs to be done to improve the ANCAP performance of our product," he says.

"We thought the additional safety features would help improve the Steed's ANCAP rating.

"It's clear to everyone in the organisation our ANCAP test standards need a dramatic improvement."

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