GWM crash test plans collide with COVID lockdowns

The GWM Ute is being assessed by ANCAP, but a rating for it and the company’s other new models remains up in the air due to COVID lockdowns.

GWM Australia said it doesn’t know how long it’ll take for its new ute to receive a star rating from ANCAP due to the strict lockdown in New South Wales.

“[Timeframes are] still uncertain as our ability to complete the tests has been hampered by the extended NSW lockdown,” said a spokesperson for GWM Australia.

“Once we have a result for Ute, we then turn our attention to H6 and Jolion.”

“The rating of a number of vehicles, including the GWM Ute, have been affected by the COVID-related lockdowns as well as other market-related delays (shipping, semiconductors etc.), lab capacity and inclement weather,” said a spokesperson for ANCAP.

“Until such time as the full suite of destructive crash testing and collision avoidance performance testing of the GWM Ute is complete, it is classified as ‘unrated’.”

An ANCAP rating for the Ute will give it the freshest datestamp in the ute segment, while only the Isuzu D-Max and Mazda BT-50 have been assessed under the stricter testing protocols introduced in 2020.

Changes include the introduction of a moving, deformable barrier for the frontal crash test, replacing the old static unit, as well as higher speeds and heavier trolleys for side impact testing.

Like the Thai-built Japanese twins, the Chinese ute has a long list of standard safety technology.

Standard across all GWM Ute models are:

• Seven airbags including a front-centre ‘bag
• Reverse and passenger-kerbside camera views
• Reversing sensors
• Lane-departure warning and active lane-keep assist
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Adaptive cruise control
• Traffic sign recognition and speed warning

Likewise, the Haval Jolion and H6 have similarly lengthy lists of standard safety equipment.

The Chinese automaker has had most of its recent models assessed by the safety authority, even when the results have ended up being less than stellar.

The defunct Haval H2 received a five-star rating in 2017, while the flagship H9 earned four stars in 2015.

The discontinued GWM Steed, however, only received a two-star rating in 2016.

The first-generation H6 and short-lived H8 crossovers didn’t undergo ANCAP testing.

MORE: Everything GWM Ute MORE: Everything Haval Jolion MORE: Everything Haval H6