Chinese automaker Chery is facing renewed questions about vehicle safety after its Tiggo 2 compact SUV received a zero-star rating in the latest Latin NCAP crash tests. The assessment found an unstable body structure and footwell during frontal impact, poor protection for the driver’s chest and a fire risk that contributed to the vehicle scoring zero for adult occupant protection.The results also gave the Tiggo 2 zero points for child occupant protection. The SUV, sold in different markets as the Tiggo 2 Pro, Tiggo 2 Pro Max and Chirey Tiggo 2, comes with four airbags and electronic stability control as standard. It nevertheless achieved just 48.89 percent for pedestrian protection and 45.45 percent for safety assistance systems. The result adds to scrutiny of Chery’s quality controls as the company expands its presence in overseas markets, including Latin America and Southeast Asia.Unstable structure, fire risk Latin NCAP evaluated the Tiggo 2 through frontal and side-impact tests, whiplash assessments, pedestrian protection tests and evaluations of its electronic stability control and emergency maneuvering performance.During the frontal impact, the vehicle’s body structure and footwell area were both rated as unstable. The driver’s chest showed poor protection, with high compression recorded during the collision. Latin NCAP also identified a fire risk during the test, which contributed to the zero-point result for adult occupant protection.The absence of standard side head-protection airbags meant the vehicle was not subjected to the side pole impact test, resulting in an additional penalty. The assessment also found that the rear seats lacked seatbelt pretensioners and load limiters, while the vehicle could not demonstrate adequate protection for a smaller adult passenger in the second row.Child occupant protection was equally concerning, with Latin NCAP awarding the Tiggo 2 zero points after identifying problems in both dynamic crash testing and child restraint system installation. The assessment recorded high forces on the head and neck of the 10-year-old test dummy during frontal and side impacts, while the 3-year-old dummy faced head exposure and a risk of ejection in the side-impact test.Previous quality lapsesAccording to Alejandro Furas, Latin NCAP’s secretary general, the result puts Chery in the spotlight for offering low safety performance in a popular vehicle segment. The organization also argued that mandatory safety labelling based on independent crash-test results could help consumers make better-informed purchasing decisions.The crash-test result comes weeks after Chery encountered another quality issue in Malaysia, where an Omoda 5 experienced a rear axle assembly separation earlier in October. The incident prompted Malaysia’s Road Transport Department to temporarily suspend the model’s Vehicle Type Approval, halting new registrations while the issue was addressed.Chery subsequently initiated a recall covering 8,878 Omoda 5 C and H variants. Chairman and president Yin Tongyue also apologized for the quality concerns during the World Intelligent Connected Vehicles Conference on October 21, saying the company needed to establish itself in overseas markets rather than pursue short-term gains.The incidents involve different vehicle models and separate technical problems, but they come at a time when Chinese automakers are expanding rapidly beyond their domestic market. Chery has exported vehicles to more than 80 countries and regions, and the Tiggo 2 is among its entry-level models aimed at markets across Southeast Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.