Are Chinese Electric Cars Safe in Portugal? Euro NCAP 2026 Scores Explained
Published: 11/09/2026
Three Chinese EVs took five stars — a European one settled for four
The Cupra Raval, designed and built in Europe, came out of September's round with four stars on standard equipment. The GAC Aion UT, Geely E2 and Leapmotor B05 came out with five. Euro NCAP published the results on 2 September 2026, and they are the clearest answer yet to the question that surfaces every time someone in Portugal considers one of these cars: are Chinese electric cars safe?
Short answer: yes — these three at least, under the toughest protocol Euro NCAP has ever run. The longer answer is more useful, because the new scores show where each car is strong and where it still falls short. If you're weighing a Chinese city EV against a European one, that matters more than the star count.
How the new Euro NCAP 2026 protocol works
This is the biggest overhaul in more than a decade. Until 2025, a car was assessed by occupant type: adult occupant, child occupant, vulnerable road users, safety assist. From 2026, the assessment follows the sequence of a crash and splits into four Stages of Safety, each scored out of 100 and reported as a percentage:
- Safe Driving — driver monitoring via head and eye tracking, distraction scoring, speed-limit sign recognition tested on real roads rather than only on a proving ground, and now scoring for systems that can spot signs of alcohol or drug impairment.
- Crash Avoidance — autonomous emergency braking, pedestrian, cyclist and motorcyclist detection, blind-spot monitoring and lane support. Effectiveness counts, but so does predictability: Euro NCAP now penalises constant warning chimes and over-sensitive lane keeping.
- Crash Protection — the familiar frontal and side impacts, extended to more occupant sizes through sled tests and virtual simulation.
- Post-Crash Safety — automatic emergency call, door operability after impact (electric door handles included), high-voltage battery isolation, and EV battery fire warnings during and after charging.
The decisive change is the minimum threshold per stage. A brilliant crash-test result can no longer paper over weak assistance systems. That is precisely why the Cupra Raval, with 91% in Crash Protection and 95% in Post-Crash Safety, still landed on four stars.
Are Chinese electric cars safe? Look at the scores
| Model | Stars | Safe Driving | Crash Avoidance | Crash Protection | Post-Crash |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geely E2 | 5 | 79% | 72% | 86% | 95% |
| Leapmotor B05 | 5 | 66% | 77% | 92% | 89% |
| GAC Aion UT | 5 | 66% | 74% | 91% | 88% |
| Cupra Raval (standard) | 4 | 58% | 66% | 91% | 95% |
| Cupra Raval (Safety Pack) | 5 | 72% | 77% | 91% | 95% |
None of the three Chinese cars sweeps every stage. Each one wins a different column — and that's where the choice actually gets made.
Geely E2: physical controls earn points
The E2 was the best of the three for Safe Driving at 79%. Part of the credit goes to an engineering decision that looked outdated a year ago: keeping physical controls for essential functions, which earned it an 80% infotainment score. It also comes with child presence detection as standard — something the Cupra Raval doesn't offer at all.
The weaknesses are real and specific. Autonomous emergency braking proved inconsistent across scenarios, driver leg protection in the frontal impact was inadequate, and Euro NCAP flagged child seatbelt positioning issues.
The E2 — sold as the EX2 in the UK — is China's best-selling car: 465,775 units in 2025 as the Xingyuan, and 194,159 in the first half of 2026. It launched in Belgium in August 2026 at EUR 21,490, with an introductory EUR 19,490. It's 4135 mm long, has a 375-litre boot plus a 70-litre frunk, seven airbags and an 85 kW (114 hp) rear motor. Two batteries: 35 kWh for 252 km WLTP, 47 kWh for 345 km WLTP. From 2028 it will be built in Spain, at Ford's former Almussafes plant near Valencia.
Leapmotor B05: the best crash protection of the group
Its 92% in Crash Protection was the highest score anywhere in this round. The B05 took maximum points in both the side barrier and pole impacts, with 100% pelvis and femur protection. Emergency braking was exceptional in high-speed and junction scenarios, and lane departure prevention was near-perfect.
What it lacks is what European rivals have normalised: adaptive restraints for different occupant statures, and detection of unsafe passenger seating positions. Child presence detection is fitted.
This is the priciest of the three and plays in a different league — Euro NCAP benchmarks it against the Renault Mégane and Volkswagen Golf. A 4.43 m C-segment fastback with a 0.26 drag coefficient, a 160 kW rear motor and 0-100 km/h in 6.7 seconds. The cell-to-chassis battery comes in 56.2 kWh (401 km WLTP) and 67.1 kWh (482 km WLTP), with DC charging up to 174 kW — 30 to 80% in 17 minutes, roughly a coffee stop on the A1. Boot space reaches 1,400 litres with the seats down. European prices start at EUR 26,900; in Germany, EUR 27,900 for the Life and EUR 31,900 for the Design.
GAC Aion UT: solid, with gaps in Safe Driving
The Aion UT is the all-rounder: 91% in Crash Protection, 88% Post-Crash, five stars without needing an optional pack. Euro NCAP lines it up against the Mini Aceman, Renault 4 and Volkswagen ID. Polo.
Every reservation sits in the first stage. It leans heavily on the central touchscreen for driving functions, speed-limit sign recognition was accurate only 68% of the time, and there is no child presence detection. If you carry children regularly, that alone argues for the Geely or the Leapmotor.
One honest caveat: there is still no confirmed European pricing or full spec sheet for the Aion UT. Until GAC announces figures for Portugal, we don't know where it really lands against its rivals.
Why the Cupra Raval only got four stars
The Raval didn't fail the crashes — 91% and 95% across the two impact stages are strong numbers, with maximum points in the side barrier and full-width frontal tests. It fell short earlier in the chain: 58% Safe Driving and 66% Crash Avoidance, both under the thresholds. With the optional Safety Pack those climb to 72% and 77%, and the fifth star arrives.
The Kia K4, tested under 2025 protocols, went the same way: four stars standard, five with the optional pack. Euro NCAP now publishes two ratings — a base rating reflecting standard equipment across all European versions, and an optional one. For a buyer the takeaway is simple: always check whether the five stars on the car in front of you apply to standard kit or to an extra you have to pay for. On all three Chinese cars, they apply to standard kit.
What about the Renault 5? Careful with the direct comparison
The Renault 5 E-Tech scored four stars in December 2024: 80% adult occupant, 80% child occupant, 76% vulnerable road users, and 68% safety assist — below the 70% threshold for five stars. The Alpine A290 and MG ZS Hybrid+ landed in the same bracket.
It's tempting to conclude that the Chinese trio is now safer than the R5. These numbers don't support that. The Renault was assessed under the 2024 protocol, with different categories and criteria, and Euro NCAP explicitly advises against comparing ratings across protocol generations. Older ratings stay valid until they expire, but they are not the same yardstick. What you can safely say is narrower: these three Chinese cars passed the hardest exam currently on offer, and the R5 hasn't sat it.
Frequently Asked Questions
In the results published on 2 September 2026, three Chinese EVs earned five stars under the new protocols: the GAC Aion UT (66 / 74 / 91 / 88), the Geely E2 (79 / 72 / 86 / 95) and the Leapmotor B05 (66 / 77 / 92 / 89). Those figures map, in order, to the four Stages of Safety in the 2026 protocol — Safe Driving, Crash Avoidance, Crash Protection and Post-Crash Safety — each scored out of 100% with a mandatory minimum threshold. Unlike the old system, a strong crash test no longer compensates for weak assistance systems.
The Leapmotor B05 launched in Europe from EUR 26,900, with the German Life trim at EUR 27,900 and the Design at EUR 31,900. The brand is distributed in Portugal through the Stellantis network, so local pricing and timing depend on that network and should be confirmed with a dealer. On paper it offers 56.2 kWh (401 km WLTP) or 67.1 kWh (482 km WLTP) batteries, a 160 kW rear motor and DC charging up to 174 kW, going from 30% to 80% in 17 minutes.
The Geely E2 went on sale in Belgium in August 2026 at EUR 21,490 (EUR 19,490 with a EUR 2,000 introductory discount) and in the UK from GBP 20,990 badged EX2. The Pro version uses a 35 kWh battery for 252 km WLTP, while the Max/Ultra moves up to 47 kWh and 345 km WLTP, both with an 85 kW (114 hp) rear motor. That undercuts the Renault 5 at EUR 24,900, and the E2 posted the best Safe Driving score of the group at 79%, helped by keeping physical controls.
At the time of these Euro NCAP results, no European price or full specification had been released for the GAC Aion UT, so any Portuguese figure would be guesswork. What is confirmed comes from the test itself: five stars with 66 / 74 / 91 / 88, strong crash protection, but heavy reliance on the central touchscreen, only 68% accuracy on speed-limit sign recognition and no child presence detection. Euro NCAP lists its rivals as the Mini Aceman, Renault 4 and VW ID. Polo.
You cannot draw that conclusion directly. The Renault 5 E-Tech was awarded four stars in December 2024 with 80% adult occupant protection, 80% child protection, 76% for vulnerable road users and 68% for safety assist — under the 70% threshold — but it was assessed under the 2024 protocol. Euro NCAP explicitly warns that ratings from different protocol generations should not be compared with each other. The useful takeaway is different: in the affordable electric city car segment, safety is no longer what separates European brands from Chinese ones.
What this means if you're buying in Portugal
Chinese car brands are no longer a curiosity here. They already account for 7% of new car sales across the EU and nearly 10% in the UK, and the number of Chinese models tested by Euro NCAP has risen almost tenfold since 2021 — the first one was assessed back in 2010.
Three practical readings for a Portuguese buyer. First, in the affordable electric supermini class, safety is no longer the line that separates European from Chinese. The Geely E2 at EUR 21,490 sits below the BYD Dolphin Surf (EUR 20,475 in Belgium, though with different equipment) and well below the Renault 5 (EUR 24,900) — with five stars on standard kit. Second, EVs in Portugal remain exempt from ISV (the vehicle registration tax) and pay a reduced IUC (annual road tax), which pulls these list prices closer to a real budget than they look. Third, read the four stages, not just the stars. A car scoring 92% in Crash Protection and 66% in Safe Driving is not the same car as one scoring 79% and 86%, even when both show five stars in the brochure.
Which brings us back to the advice from Dr Aled Williams, Euro NCAP's Programme Director: "an important part of the safety journey is the drive — don't forget to try before you buy!" With monitoring systems, warning chimes and screen layouts now carrying real weight in the final score, half an hour behind the wheel tells you things the table can't.