On November 12, a video circulating online showed a Chery Fengyun car rolling backwards and crashing into a guardrail while climbing the Tianmen Mountain ladder in Zhangjiajie. (Image from Xiaoxiang Morning Post video client)
Chery publicly responded to the failure of its Fengyun X3L in the hill-climbing challenge.
On November 12, a test of the Fengyun X3L at Tianmen Mountain Scenic Area in Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province, was interrupted due to an unexpected accident, which has attracted widespread attention. A video circulating online shows a Fengyun X3L rolling backwards while climbing the Tianmen Mountain ladder. The vehicle failed to brake in time and slid down the slope before colliding severely with the guardrail.
On November 13, Chery issued an apology statement regarding the accident during its Tianmen Mountain challenge test. The statement said that preliminary investigation confirmed the direct cause of the accident was the accidental detachment of the safety rope anchor point on the testing equipment. This caused the rope to become entangled in the right-side wheel, obstructing power output and causing the vehicle to slide down and collide with the guardrail, resulting in damage to part of the guardrail. Fortunately, no one was injured and no damage was caused to the natural environment.
"This result exposes our insufficient assessment of potential risks and oversights in controlling details during the planning and execution of this test. In particular, we deeply reflect on the public concerns caused by choosing to conduct the test in a public scenic area. We sincerely apologize for the damage caused to the Tianmen Mountain site by this test and promise to do our best to repair it, assume compensation responsibility, and handle all follow-up work," Chery stated.
Public information shows that the Fengyun X3L is a newly launched compact range-extended SUV under Chery's Fengyun brand. Positioned as a "high-energy, stylish outdoor box", it is priced at 119,900-159,900 yuan and was launched on September 17.
Previously, Li Xueyong, Executive Vice President of Chery Automobile, had repeatedly promoted the Fengyun X3L on Weibo regarding this challenge. He mentioned that the test had been interrupted in September because "it had been raining continuously, and the road surface was very slippery. Based on considerations for scenic area safety and visitor experience, the test was suspended midway."
This is not the first time a car brand has demonstrated climbing the Tianmen Mountain ladder; Land Rover previously succeeded in climbing it.
Furthermore, many netizens have questioned the impact of such challenges on scenic spots and the environment. According to reports, Tianmen Mountain Scenic Area responded to the media, stating, "The scenic area did indeed have joint activities with car brands, but they were unaware of the specifics."
