Five budget cars crash tested - How safe is your car?
These crash testing videos may make you rethink your vehicle of choice.
The safety of entry level cars, popular in South Africa, have been thrown into the spotlight.
Global NCAP has released the results of crash testing five South African budget hatchbacks.
It forms part of a campaign called #SaferCarsforAfrica, which saw the global crash testing authority team up with the Automobile Association of South Africa and the FIA.
The crash test results - while not all that surprising in terms of which cars fared best - does provide a certain shock factor.
Toyota Etios
The Toyota Etios fared the best and came out tops with a four star rating for adult occupant protection and three stars for child protection.
Read the full test report here.
Renault Sandero
Second was the Renault Sandero.
It scored three stars for adult protection and four for child safety.
Read the full crash test report here.
Volkswagen Polo Vivo
The extremely popular Volkswagen Polo Vivo also scored three stars for adult protection as well as just three stars for child safety.
Read the full crash test report here.
Datsun Go+
If you have a Datsun Go+ station wagon, be prepared!
This vehicle scored a meagre one star for adult protection and two for child safety.
Read the full crash test report here.
Chery QQ3
The most harrowing was the Chery QQ3.
The crash test shows how the car crumbles on impact while travelling at a speed of 64km/h.
This vehicle failed to score a pathetic one star in either of the categories.
Read the full crash test report here.
Combined sales of these five cars account for around 65% of all the new cars sold in South Africa last year.
Global NCAP chairperson Lauchlan McIntosh says: “In 2016 the United Nations General Assembly adopted a road safety resolution which recognised the important role NCAPs play as a catalyst for improving vehicle safety standards. The UN has sought to encourage the spread of NCAPs across the regions and automotive markets of the World and today, in Cape Town, I am delighted that Global NCAP is helping to achieve that goal with the launch of the first ever crashworthiness programme for cars sold in Africa.
“Working closely with our partners at the Automobile Association of South Africa and with the welcome support of the FIA Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies, our new campaign is an important first milestone on the road to Safer Cars for Africa.”
AA South Africa CEO Collins Khumalo says the crash tests represent an important step in road safety in South Africa.
"We believe consumers have a right to know what the safety ratings are on the cars they want to buy. These results are critical to educating the public about vehicle safety, but, more than that, they empower road users to make informed decisions. In the same way emissions and green ratings are displayed on vehicles, we think safety ratings should also be displayed on vehicles, and we don’t believe this should be too much of a challenge to make happen.
“The involvement of Global NCAP, the FIA Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies in bringing these results to Africa, indicates how seriously our partners view road safety, and it is incumbent on us, as South Africans, to consider road, and vehicle safety, in the same way.”