Munich  - The Chinese Brilliance BS4, like its big brother the BS6, has been poorly rated in terms of safety in a crash test conducted by the German automobile association ADAC.

The BS4 medium-sized sedan is a big improvement on the BS6, "But is still a long way from achieving a good result (in safety)," ADAC said. The BS6 car was slated for it poor crash test results in an earlier crash test.

According to the ADAC testers, the safety cell of the BS4 had reached its maximum effect in a collision at 64 km/h with the steering column and dashboard being pushed into the cabin area.

The pedals could also become "sharp arrows" causing serious injury in a crash. However, the BS4 was better on the side-impact crash with a large side airbag preventing injury to the head and ribs of the occupants, the ADAC said.