Controversy
The Landwind has attracted a controversy after a series of safety tests. The car made headlines after German car club ADAC showed in its crash test, carried out for Euro NCAP, that a driver of this vehicle would not survive a head-on collision at 64 km/h (40 MPH).
The Dutch importer of the Landwind called for a test by German safety monitoring agency TÜV to show that the car was in fact safe enough for European standards. These tests are similar to the Euro NCAP tests, but the collision speed is lower at 54 km/h (35 mph). Despite the worst crash results in decades TÜV subsequently confirmed that the Landwind met all mandatory safety criteria according to ECE R94.
The controversy did not end there. Opponents say the TÜV test is not enough to guarantee vehicle safety today. They claim that R94 is outdated and only guarantees that the driver will be alive after a crash, and that it does not take into account serious injuries such as severe crushing of the legs. R94 is also performed at a lower speed.
Ron Zwaans, general director of Landwind Europe, says his company is working together with ADAC to keep improving the Landwind's safety. He claims his goal is to ultimately pass the more rigorous Euro NCAP testing.