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BYD has continued its strong safety record in Australia with a five-star ANCAP rating for the electric Sealion 7 SUV, while newcomer Geely has also achieved top marks for its new EX5.
The latest result means BYD’s entire Australian line-up, which includes the plug-in hybrid Shark 6, Sealion 6 and electric Seal, Dolphin and Atto 3 models, now carries the benchmark safety score.
ANCAP, Australia’s peak vehicle safety testing body, noted the Sealion 7’s strong safety performance across all four key categories.
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Most notable was its performance in Child Occupant Protection, with the Sealion 7 achieving full marks in the frontal offset and side impact tests using six-year-old and 10-year-old dummies.
Full marks were awarded in Adult Occupant Protection tests, such as the side impact, oblique pole and far side impact tests.
ANCAP noted “weak” chest protection for the rear adult passenger’s chest in the full width test, suggesting improvements on future cars are needed.
High scores were also awarded for the Sealion 7’s performance in autonomous emergency braking (AEB) tests with a pedestrian, cyclist, motorcyclist, and other vehicles, contributing to strong scores for the Vulnerable Road User Protection and Safety Assist categories.
The Geely EX5 was commended for its ability to avoid incidents in tests on its advanced driver assist systems, particularly in the lane support and car-to-motorcyle tests, where it received full marks.
Physical crash testing also saw strong results, with full marks awarded in the side impact, whiplash and far side tests.
ANCAP noted several welds around the car’s A-pillar became detached in the frontal offset test, causing a deduction in points. However, more severe testing didn’t cause any further structural damage.
As with the Sealion 7, the EX5 performed strongly in Child Occupant Protection tests using six-year-old and 10-year-old dummies, while protection of the rear adult passenger’s chest was similarly rated as “weak” in the full width frontal test.
Overall, ANCAP CEO Carla Hoorweg said it was refreshing to see electric vehicles performing strongly in crash testing.
“As electrified vehicles continue to advance technologically, it’s encouraging to see equal investment in safety, ensuring that innovation and the protection of drivers, passengers and families go hand in hand,” said Hoorweg.
On the Geely EX5’s performance, Hoorweg added: “Geely has made a confident entrance into the Australian and New Zealand markets with the Geely EX5, landing a five-star result right out of the gate.
“The Geely EX5 delivers good overall safety performance and sets a benchmark for Geely’s local presence.”
Both the BYD Sealion 7 and Geely EX5 are shaping up as two of the Tesla Model Y's biggest rivals in Australia to date, with each brand offloading 730 and 188 units as of March 2025, respectively, since their arrivals on the Australian market earlier this year.
Check out the full details of both the BYD Sealion 7 and Geely EX5’s safety tests on the ANCAP website.
