Dongfeng Box Scores Three Stars in Euro NCAP

The 2025 Dongfeng Box has earned a three-star rating from Euro NCAP, showing a mixed performance across key safety areas. The compact electric hatchback scored 69% for Adult Occupant Protection, 81% for Child Occupant Protection, 67% for Vulnerable Road Users, and 77% for Safety Assist.

In adult occupant tests, the Box did well in side impacts but struggled in frontal collisions. Several spot welds on the A-pillar failed, affecting body strength, while both front doors remained locked after the crash, which could delay rescue efforts.

The driver’s airbag lacked sufficient pressure to prevent head contact with the steering wheel, and dashboard structures posed a risk of leg injury. Euro NCAP noted the Box behaved as a relatively aggressive impact partner, transferring higher crash forces to other vehicles.

Side impact protection was a stronger point. The Box offered good protection for all critical body regions, scoring maximum points in the side barrier test and adequate results in the tougher side pole impact. However, far-side protection was rated poor, as there is no centre airbag or system to prevent head contact between front occupants.

Child safety was a highlight, with the Box achieving 81%. Tests using six- and ten-year-old dummies showed good or adequate protection in both frontal and side impacts. The front passenger airbag can be deactivated to fit a rearward-facing child seat, with clear indicators shown to the driver.

In Vulnerable Road User testing, the Box scored 67%, showing mixed results. Head protection was mostly good to marginal, but weak around the windscreen pillars. Pelvis and femur protection were poor, while the knee and tibia zones performed well.

Its Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) system responded effectively to pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists, though it does not detect pedestrians behind the car and lacks cyclist dooring prevention.

In the Safety Assist category, the Box achieved 77%, showing solid performance from its driver assistance systems. The AEB car-to-car, lane keeping, and speed assistance features were all rated “good.” Seatbelt reminders are standard for all seats, and the driver monitoring system can detect fatigue and brief distractions.

Overall, the Dongfeng Box delivers underwhelming safety performance for a modern EV, let down by weak frontal crash integrity and poor far-side protection. While side impact and child protection results were respectable, these strengths were not enough to lift its overall rating.

In Malaysia, the Box is distributed by CADB, priced from RM100,000 with a 43.89 kWh battery and 430 km of range. But with Proton’s e.MAS 5 and Perodua’s eMO-II set to launch later this year for under RM80,000, the Box could soon find itself in a difficult spot in Malaysia’s budget EV segment.