The Brilliance BS6, in China sold as Zhonghua Zunchi, and later as the Brilliance M1 is a full-size car produced by Brilliance Auto in China. It was originally developed by Italdesign Giugiaro and launched as the Brilliance Zhonghua in December 2000.[3]
Safety
A few cars were imported to Belgium for a short period during 2006, but deliveries were suspended after a Euro NCAP crash test arranged by the ADAC (the General German Automobile Club). The car only managed to achieve one of the possible five stars,[4] a result described as "catastrophic" and "disastrous". A second star was denied because on a side impact test, biometric limits were exceeded. Due to the severe deformation of the car, the likelihood of occupants surviving the crash was low. However, according to a wire report carried by Forbes.com, a heavily strengthened version of BS6 has been tested in Spain.[5]
European exports
The Brilliance BS6 had a starting purchase price of 18,000 Euros, similar in price to established competitors like the Ford Mondeo and Volkswagen Passat. Brilliance was planning to market the car in the United States, but its price would have been at least, slightly higher than the already established Toyota Camry. Efforts to sell the car in Europe stalled after importer HSO Motors filed for bankruptcy in November 2009, in part due to the high price of the cars.[6] According to automotive data provider JATO Dynamics, combined European Union sales of the BS4 and BS6 were only 502 units from 2007 to 2009, with only 46 BS6's sold in the EU in 2009.[7] Sales ended in early 2010,[8] but nonetheless, Brilliance appears to be back again, now as Shenhua Motors GmbH.[9]
Gallery
External links
References
- Galena Bavarian Auto Group, retrieved 2012-01-31^
- Zhonghua italdesign.it, retrieved 12 February 2020^
- Zhonghua Italdesign Giugiaro, retrieved 2012-01-31^
- Alex Nunez. In German crash test, China's Brilliance BS6 sedan fails miserably Autoblog, 22 June 2007, retrieved 2008-05-30^
- Ashley Sutcliffe. Brilliance BS6, Not as lethal as before China Car Times, 13 September 2007, retrieved 2008-05-30^
- Hadyś, Michał. Europe is not for Brilliance, the Importer is Bankrupt Autochiny, 2009-11-07, retrieved 2011-02-05^
- Hadyś, Michał. Brilliance Auto May Halt Car Exports to Europe Autochiny, 2010-11-07, retrieved 2011-02-05^
- China Automaker Brilliance Halts Europe Exports, Executives Say AutoWeek.com, Crain Communications, 2010-04-29^
- Brilliance-Gruppe eröffnet Europazentrale Autohaus online, 2010-05-12^