The Xiaomi SU7, the inaugural electric sedan from Xiaomi Auto launched in March 2024, has achieved a top safety rating of five stars in the rigorous Chinese C-NCAP crash and safety tests. Notably, the SU7's performance surpassed all other vehicles evaluated under the updated 2024 C-NCAP standards, demonstrating exceptional safety capabilities. This achievement underscores that even relatively new entrants in the New Energy Vehicle (NEV) sector, such as Xiaomi, are capable of producing vehicles that meet stringent safety requirements. The SU7 has quickly gained immense popularity, evidenced by its substantial cumulative deliveries reaching 186,112 units. The demand for the Xiaomi SU7 currently outstrips its production capacity, resulting in extended waiting times for prospective buyers, which can stretch up to eleven months. The recent C-NCAP evaluation provides an independent assessment of the vehicle's safety credentials.
The C-NCAP crash and safety evaluation process is conducted by the China Automotive Technology and Research Center (CATARC), a reputable organization in the automotive industry. In these comprehensive tests, a vehicle's safety performance is meticulously assessed and assigned a percentage score ranging from 0 to 100%. To facilitate easier understanding for consumers, these percentage scores are then translated into a star rating system. The C-NCAP evaluation encompasses a broad spectrum of safety aspects, including the protection offered to vehicle occupants in the event of a collision, the safety measures in place for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists, and the effectiveness of the vehicle's active safety assistance functions designed to prevent accidents.
The specific Xiaomi SU7 model subjected to the C-NCAP evaluation was the high-performance Max variant. This all-wheel-drive configuration of the electric sedan is equipped with the advanced AT128 LiDAR sensor supplied by Hesai and incorporates Xiaomi's sophisticated Pilot Max driver assistance system. In the Chinese market, this particular model retails for 299,900 yuan. To ensure impartiality and objectivity, the test vehicles were procured anonymously by the C-NCAP agency from a random dealership using their own funds, mirroring a typical consumer purchase.
The results of the C-NCAP testing revealed that the Xiaomi SU7 Max achieved a five-star safety rating with an impressive overall performance score of 93.5%. This score represents the highest mark attained by any vehicle assessed under the more demanding 2024 C-NCAP safety standards. Furthermore, the SU7 Max's overall score is significantly higher, by 8.7%, than the average score of other vehicles evaluated by C-NCAP. Notably, the SU7 Max excelled in the Active Safety category, achieving a remarkable score of 95.25%. Within this category, its Automated Emergency Braking (AEB) system and the effectiveness of its lighting systems both approached a perfect score, highlighting the vehicle's advanced accident avoidance capabilities.
In the critical area of occupant protection, the Xiaomi SU7 Max demonstrated a high level of safety, securing a score of 94.31%. Moreover, the electric sedan exhibited outstanding performance in the vulnerable road users (VRU) protection category, achieving a score of 90.42%. This score is notably 13.14% higher than the average performance of other tested vehicles in this crucial aspect of safety. The VRU protection assessment includes evaluations of the vehicle's design and features aimed at mitigating injuries to pedestrians in the event of a collision, specifically focusing on leg and head protection. It also incorporates tests of the effectiveness of the AEB system in detecting and reacting to pedestrians.
The exceptional performance of the Xiaomi SU7 Max in safeguarding vulnerable road users played a significant role in its attainment of the highest overall safety score among all vehicles evaluated under the stringent 2024 C-NCAP standards. This achievement underscores Xiaomi's commitment to producing not only technologically advanced and popular electric vehicles but also those that prioritize the safety of both occupants and the wider community.