GEELY, Leapmotor, and AION Earn Euro NCAP Five-Star Safety Ratings

The European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) released its latest safety assessment results on September 3, 2026. Under the comprehensively updated 2026 testing protocol, three new Chinese models — the AION UT, GEELY E2 (marketed domestically as "Xingyuan" and as "EX2" in select overseas markets), and Leapmotor B05 (domestically named "Spark5") — all achieved the highest possible five-star safety rating.

This round of testing also included the Spanish brand Cupra Raval: its standard version earned four stars, while adding the optional "Safety Pack" upgraded it to five stars. This package enhances active safety system responsiveness in low-speed scenarios and at intersections.

Euro NCAP noted that vehicles manufactured in China now account for 7% of new car sales across the EU — and nearly 10% in the UK market. Since 2021, the number of Chinese-brand models submitted to Euro NCAP for testing has increased nearly tenfold, reflecting automakers' systematic efforts to meet European consumers' stringent expectations for active and passive safety.

"Today's results clearly show that Chinese automakers continue to invest significantly to deliver the high safety standards European consumers expect," said Dr. Aled Williams, Euro NCAP Project Director.

Model-specific scores are as follows:

• AION UT: Safe Driving 66% | Collision Avoidance 74% | Crash Protection 91% | Post-Crash Safety 88% | Overall Five Stars
• GEELY E2: Safe Driving 79% | Collision Avoidance 72% | Crash Protection 86% | Post-Crash Safety 95% | Overall Five Stars
• Leapmotor B05: Safe Driving 66% | Collision Avoidance 77% | Crash Protection 92% | Post-Crash Safety 89% | Overall Five Stars

The assessment report also highlighted key observations: The AION UT relies heavily on its central touchscreen for operation; its speed-limit sign recognition accuracy is only 68%; and it lacks a child presence detection system. The GEELY E2 — a top-selling model in China — features well-organized physical controls and includes child presence detection as standard, but exhibits inconsistent performance in automatic emergency braking (AEB). The Leapmotor B05 scored full marks in side barrier and side pole crash tests, delivers excellent AEB performance, yet lacks an adaptive restraint system calibrated for varying occupant sizes, and its infotainment controls lean too heavily on touch input with insufficient physical buttons.