Photo by: Duane Daws
The Automobile Association of South Africa (AA) has released its second yearly Entry-level Vehicle Safety Report.
The report considers the safety features of 25 vehicles available in South Africa, priced under R160 000. This is R10 000 (6.7%) more than the vehicles considered last year, to account for inflation.
The 25 vehicles were evaluated against the number of active safety features they have (anti-lock braking systems, electronic stability control), and passive safety features (airbags). The vehicles were then categorised into three groups based on their safety ratings according to the AA survey.
Of the vehicles assessed, only two are categorised as having acceptable safety levels. Thirteen of the vehicles are categorised as having moderate safety, and ten are classified as having poor safety.
The AA says the survey is the result of desktop research, and assessed safety features only. It did not consider the structural integrity of the driver and passenger compartment.
In addition to scoring the vehicles purely on safety features, the report also considered safety weighed against affordability. In this scenario, the score achieved by a vehicle for its safety features was measured against its cost, to arrive at a safety/affordability score.
Considering this, only one car achieves an acceptable safety/affordability score, says the AA, while ten are rated as poor on the scale.
Fourteen of the vehicles are rated as moderate on the safety/affordability scale.
“Safety features on vehicles are critical elements which can provide much-needed protection in the event of a crash, says the AA.
“What we’d like to see is that all car manufacturers include more safety features in their vehicles.”
The AA says the purpose of the research into the entry-level market is to highlight the importance of safety features in new cars, understand how these features can save lives, and encourage new car buyers to consider safety in their decisions, and not only price.”
The association says this is especially important as many of the people who buy or drive entry-level vehicles are often those with the least driving experience.
AA Entry-level Vehicle Safety Report
Vehicles with Acceptable Safety:
Toyota Aygo 1.0
Nissan Visia 1.2 Visia+
Vehicles with Moderate Safety:
Chery QQ3 1.1 TXE
Chevrolet Spark 1.2 Curve
Mitsubishi Mirage 1.2 GL
BAIC D20 hatch 1.3
Chery J2 1.5 TX
Kia Picanto 1.0 Street
Suzuki Swift hatch 1.2 GA
Mahindra KUV100 1.2 G80
Tata Vista 1.4 Ignis
Suzuki Swift DZire sedan 1.2
Honda Brio hatch 1.2 Trend
Tata Bolt hatch 1.2T XMS
Suzuki Celerio 1.0 GA
Vehicles with Poor Safety:
Renault Kwid 1.0 Expression
Kia Picanto 1.0 Start
Datsun Go+ 1.2 Lux
Kia Picanto 1.2 Start
Hyundai i10 1.1 Motion
Chery QQ3 0.8 TE (aircon)
Datsun Go 1.2 Mid
Tata Indica 1.4 LGi
Tata Vista 1.4 Ini Bounce
Tata Manza 1.4 Ini