Haval H9 fails to get five-star safety rating

HAVAL’S H9 has suffered a major setback in its quest to become a force in the Australian market, with the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) only awarding the premium Chinese-made SUV a four-star safety rating.

This is a massive blow to the budget-priced SUV’s local aspirations, as five-star ratings are now non-negotiable for most buyers.

“New vehicle buyers have come to expect five-star safety from new models, and unfortunately the result falls short of marketplace expectation,” said ANCAP CEO, Mr James Goodwin.

“The H9 is being marketed as a premium offering from China’s highest-selling SUV brand, and we would expect a vehicle in this price range to offer a greater range of advanced safety features and improved crash performance.”

The H9 lost points during the Frontal Offset Test, where the chest and lower legs were susceptible to serious injury; out of a possible four points the chest scored 3.03, while the lower legs scored 1.02 points.

The H9 did score well in the Side Impact and Whiplash Protection tests, though.

It also comes equipped as standard with side curtain airbags for all three rows, reversing collision avoidance and fatigue detection, though it lacks autonomous emergency braking and lane support systems.

4X4 Australia test-drove the H9 for its May 2016 issue and found its trump card to be that it offers Toyota Prado Kakadu equipment levels at prices below a base-model Prado GX.

However, with its failure to score five stars on the ANCAP safety test, that mightn’t be enough to sway buyers.