Great Wall SUVs in Malaysia have ESC, says Go Auto

PETALING JAYA: Go Automobile Manufacturing Sdn Bhd (Go Auto), the licensed manufacturer of China’s Great Wall Motor (GWM) vehicles in Malaysia, said the two models sold in the market here are equipped with Electronic Stability Control (ESC).
A recent news report alleged that many automakers from China, including GWM, were selling cars without ESC as a standard feature, potentially putting lives at risk from rollover accidents.
However, Go Auto CEO Ahmad Azam Sulaiman told SunBiz that both SUV models – M4 and H2 – are equipped with ESC, besides a whole array of other safety features.
Go Auto, an unknown company with no known automotive background, raised eyebrows in April 2014 when it was issued the first energy efficient vehicle (EEV) manufacturing licence to assemble GWM products locally by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (Miti) under the National Automotive Policy (NAP 2014).
The M4 is touted as the cheapest SUV in the market at the moment, priced from RM45k to RM59k, depending on variant.
Packed with a host of safety features that are normally seen only in premium cars, the M4 saw its sales touch a modest 1,600 units in 2016.
Production of the M4 began in December 2014 at GAM’s plant in Gurun, Kedah, which had been assembling the Haval H5 and the Wingle pickup.
So far this year, Ahmad Azam said, Go Auto has sold 450 units of the M4.
On concerns that Chinese makes may be cutting corners to make sales, Miti told SunBiz that vehicle safety regulations are an important component of NAP 2014.
Miti also agreed that due to the higher centre of gravity in SUVs, it is relatively important for manufacturers to include ESC as a standard safety feature in all their products. However, it added that there is no statistical data or proven evidence that SUVs without ESC pose higher risks in rollovers compared to SUVs equipped with such features.
However, Miti said it was of the view that basic safety features should be essentially a standard feature for every car in order to ensure the safety of the driver and passengers.
Other than ESC, Miti said, new vehicles should be equipped with standard safety features such as Anti-Lock Braking System, airbags for driver and front passenger, at least, and adaptive headlights to illuminate curves in the dark by responding to the motion of the steering wheel.
However, the ministry noted that is not the role of the government to decide whether Malaysian consumers should pay more for a car with better safety features.
“Inclusion of safety features in automobiles should be driven by consumer demand and market forces. The role of the government is educating Malaysian drivers and transport users to be more cautious and vigilant while on the road and promote good driving ethics among Malaysian drivers,” it added.
Malaysia, Miti said, is now a signatory of the World Forum for Harmonisation of Vehicle Regulations, or the WP.29, and is implementing vehicle standards as agreed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.
On this point, Malaysia Automotive Institute CEO Madani Sahari told SunBiz that more than 20 regulations under WP.29 have been implemented since 2015.
“We expect more than 100 regulations to be implemented by 2017 for passenger cars, motorcycles, and heavy vehicles,” he said.
The regulations, which are harmonised across many countries around world, address vehicle and driving safety, which includes vehicle stability during operation.
“Ideally, there is no such thing as being too careful when it comes to safety. However, the enactment of regulations pertaining to standard safety features requires a consideration of impacts to the entire automotive ecosystem,” Madani said.
He said as the regulations are gradually being enforced, consumers currently have a wide array of choices, including the numerous domestic models that come with five-star ratings for New Car Assessment Programme for South East Asian Countries, or Asean NCAP.