Chery J11 two-star ANCAP result

The Chinese-built Chery J11 compact SUV has scored a two-star ANCAP crash rating in the latest round of testing. Speaking to the brand's importer, ATECO Automotive, motoring.com.au was told the manufacturer had expected better from its $19,990 offering.

"We are both surprised and disappointed with the crash result achieved by the J11. We had expected that it would have performed better than it did," Chery's local spokesperson, Daniel Cotterill told motoring.com.au.

When asked if the recall campaign currently affecting the J11 had any bearing on the ANCAP result it was clear both Chery and ANCAP understood the issue was unrelated.

"That recall campaign is to improve side impact performance, and we'd instituted that [campaign] as a result of lessons learned from the testing of the J1 sedan; and that was underway prior to this most recent round of ANCAP testing," said Cotterill.

The J11 will not receive a better score even after the current recall campaign is concluded. In a statement included in the crash test results overnight, ANCAP said: "ANCAP is still planning to conduct a side impact test on the Chery J11 following completion of the recall campaign. While this will assess the side impact protection of the vehicle it cannot improve the two-star rating."

Cotterill explained that while Chery is displeased with the latest result, it is already working to better the car's safety performance.

"It is our policy to have safety engineers from the manufacturer concerned, in this case Chery, present when the ANCAP testing is done, and that was the case at the testing of the J11," said Cotterill.

"A senior Chery safety engineer was there and there is already work underway in China as a consequence of that test to improve the J11."

Whether these amendments will improve the current J11's safety score is unclear.

"I'm not in a position to say if that [will improved the crash result], because: a) that involves ANCAP re-testing the car, which they may or may not do; and b) I don't know fully what work is underway or in what areas of the car," stated Cotterill.

"I do [however] know that there is a fairly advanced plan to fit additional airbags to the design soon."

Cotterill reiterated the company's response when questioned about the J11's poor pedestrian impact result, the car scoring zero stars for this particular test.

"Again, we're surprised and disappointed with the result overall and had expected the car would do better," Cotterill reiterated.

ANCAP said the pedestrian impact proved that "the design of the Chery J11 is not friendly to pedestrians and other vulnerable road users".

When asked if Chery would reposition the J11's list price as a result of its below average safety performance, Cotterill said he believed the car still offered good value for money when compared to same-sector rivals.

"Price, I think, is a seperate issue, and we have a pretty attractive price point with cash back offers on that particular car," Cotterill said.

"Although the currency has dropped fairly significantly in the recent past, I'm not aware of any plan within ATECO or Chery Australia  to change the price of the car."

It's the second time in nearly as many months Chery has come under fire from the Australian safety body. The sub-compact Chery J1 hatch performed poorly in its May 2011 test. It scored just 5.233 out of 16 in the offset frontal test and was awarded a "marginal" three-star rating.

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