Latest crash test results good news for small car buyers

New results from the latest round of Australasian and European crash testing show that good things can come in small packages in terms of vehicle safety.

Seven out of eight small cars tested in Europe scored a maximum five out of five stars for occupant protection, outperforming many larger vehicles in the tests. Five star results were recorded by the Ford Focus, Toyota Corolla hatch, Toyota Corolla sedan, Peugeot 207, Renault Clio, Mini Cooper and Volvo C30. The Suzuki SX4 scored four stars.

While the specifications of some models tested in Europe may differ from base models sold here, Land Transport NZ Chief Executive Wayne Donnelly said the top scores for so many small cars were good news for motorists.

“Manufacturers have significantly improved the level of protection their vehicles provide to occupants in a crash, and car buyers can now choose from a wide variety of vehicles with state of the art safety features, including a number of small cars.”

Five star results were also recorded by the Honda Legend (large car), Citroen Picasso (passenger van), Land Rover Freelander 2 and the Mitsubishi Outlander (4WDs).

Several vehicles recorded four star results, including the Toyota Aurion, Toyota Camry, Holden Commodore, Kia Magentis and Hyundai Sonata (large cars), Toyota Previa (passenger van), Holden Captiva, Suzuki Grand Vitara, Audi Q7 and Hyundai Santa Fe (4WDs), VW Eos (sports car) and the Mitsubishi Triton (ute).

The four-star result for the new Triton ute is a significant improvement from the two star rating recorded in ANCAP tests last year.

Other results released today include the Chrysler Voyager passenger van with two stars, and the Mitsubishi Express commercial van with one star.

The star ratings are based on a series of crash tests conducted by the Australasian New Car Assessment Programme (ANCAP) and the European equivalent EuroNCAP, including a frontal impact test at 64 km/h, a side impact test at 50 km/h, and an optional pole test where the vehicle strikes a pole lined up with the driver's head at 29km/h.

ANCAP noted that head-protecting side (curtain) airbags, which have been demonstrated in previous ANCAP tests to be effective in reducing head injuries, were not fitted to the versions of the Hyundai Accent, Toyota Previa, Toyota Camry or Holden Commodore tested. Ideally, head protecting side, or curtain, airbags would be standard in all vehicles.

On the plus side, the number of vehicles being fitted with Electronic Stability Control (ESC) in New Zealand is rapidly increasing, with 54% of new passenger vehicles sold in New Zealand in April equipped with the crash avoidance technology, which has been shown to reduce crashes and injuries.

The Holden Commodore and Toyota Aurion are the only Australian-built models to have ESC fitted across all variants. ESC is also standard on the Land Rover Freelander 2, Holden Captiva, Audi Q7, Kia Magentis, Honda Legend, Citroën Picasso, and VW Eos, and available as an option on the Ford Focus.

While ESC is not yet available on any variant of the Toyota Corolla, Suzuki Grand Vitara or the Suzuki SX4, manufacturers including Toyota and Suzuki will make ESC standard or optional on their models released or upgraded later this year.

ANCAP encourages new vehicle buyers to consider selecting vehicles with a full six airbag package which includes side head protection, and ESC.

A separate pedestrian protection rating is calculated with a separate series of tests simulating collisions with adult and child pedestrians at 40km/h to assess likely injuries in a collision.

Pedestrian tests on the Suzuki Grand Vitara, Toyota Corolla, Peugeot 207, Suzuki SX4 and Honda Legend resulted in three stars out of a possible four; the Mitsubishi Outlander, Holden Captiva, Audi Q7, Ford Focus, Hyundai Sonata, Citroën Picasso, and Mini gained two stars, with the Kia Magentis, Volvo C30 and Land Rover Freelander 2 scoring one star.

ANCAP is supported by all Australian and New Zealand motoring clubs, all State governments, the New Zealand government and the FIA Foundation. Land Transport NZ and the AA are both members of ANCAP. Detailed crash test results are available on the websites of both organisations - www.landtransport.govt.nz or www.aa.co.nz

ENDS

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