Toyota, known for its focus on safety, received a shocking result in the Global NCAP crash test. The subcompact Toyota Starlet hatchback, popular in South Africa, in the outgoing generation version, earned zero stars for the protection of adult passengers, reports Carscoops.
Tested car made in India. It was equipped with an electronic stabilization system and two front airbags. However, upon impact, the body structure showed serious instability: the footwell and overall body integrity were unable to withstand the load.
The side impact test also fails due to the lack of side airbags – the dummy’s head and chest are poorly protected. The results were so bad that the organizers abandoned the pole side impact.
At the same time, the model scored 29.33 points for child protection, which corresponds to three stars. However, the three-year-old dummy’s head came into contact with the interior elements during a frontal impact.
Global NCAP chief executive Richard Woods said: “This is a shocking zero-star result from Toyota. The Starlet is one of the most popular cars in South Africa and the weak bodywork coupled with poor head and chest protection is a major concern.”
Toyota South Africa responded that the model tested was outdated and did not represent the current Starlet on the market. The updated version has already received side pillows, pillows for the head and body. Global NCAP anonymously purchased the sample for new testing and promised to update the results in the future.
Earlier, the disadvantages of the Chinese-assembled BMW X3 L, popular among Russians, became known.
