Global NCAP #SaferCarsForAfrica crash tests, with the Automobile Association (AA) warning South African consumers that they are being sold a vehicle that falls short of international safety standards.
The poor result was attributed primarily to the absence of standard side head protection for front and rear occupants – a gap that Global NCAP says exposes occupants to the risk of severe head injury even in a low-speed side impact with a pole or tree. Child occupant protection fared marginally better at three stars, but the Child Restraint System failed installation tests for all front rearward-facing positions, and the vehicle lacks the ability to disconnect the passenger airbag when a rearward-facing child seat is used.
Testing was conducted on the previous-generation Tiggo 7 Pro Distinction, which remains on sale in South Africa. Critically, the current-generation Tiggo 7 Prime – the entry point into the newer range — shares the same safety shortcomings.
Global NCAP also flagged a dual-vehicle collision test staged by Chery SA locally last year, in which two Tiggo 9 SUVs crashed head-on at 50 km/h. The organisation does not recognise those results, and both Global NCAP and the AA cautioned consumers against using them as a guide to vehicle safety. Similarly, the five-star Euro NCAP rating cited by Chery for the Tiggo 7 CSH applies only to that specific model and that specific market – it carries no weight for vehicles assessed under African conditions.
“A two-star rating for the Tiggo 7 Pro is very disappointing, but this poor result is seriously compounded by the publication of misleading information on crash test results from other markets,” said Global NCAP CEO Richard Woods.
AA CEO Bobby Ramagwede was equally direct, describing the locally staged crash test as both unsafe and misleading, and accusing Chery of presenting a one-sided safety picture to consumers. “South African motorists deserve better, irrespective of source or price-point of a vehicle,” he said. “Safety should never be an optional extra, and certainly not reserved for markets outside Africa.”
The AA is calling on manufacturers to address the identified shortcomings either on the production line or through a recall process, and is pushing for a dedicated Africa NCAP programme to strengthen testing rigour across the continent. Consumers can view all #SaferCarsForAfrica results at www.aa.co.za.
Read the full crash test report Chery Tiggo 7 Pro – fact sheet
Watch the crash test video Chery Tiggo 7 Pro Crash Test
