While the Africa-spec Corolla Cross has a low rating, the crossover SUV has received a 5-star safety rating in Euro NCAP, ANCAP and ASEAN NCAP
Due to differences in standard safety equipment, NCAP ratings can vary between regions. A relevant example is Toyota Corolla Cross, which has received a 2-star Adult Safety Rating in tests conducted by Global NCAP. These tests are part of GNCAP’s ‘Safer Cars For Africa’ campaign. Let’s check out the details.
Toyota Corolla Cross (Africa) – Standard safety features
Safety kit includes features such as front airbags, knee airbag, side chest airbag, belt pretensioner, belt loadlimiter, seat belt reminder and ESC. Other safety features such as side head curtain airbag, side head (thorax) airbag and side pelvis airbag are either not available or are optional. The same applies to other safety systems such as pedestrian protection, speed assist system and lane assist system.
Adult Occupant Protection – GNCAP (Africa)
Total points scored were 29.27 out of max 34. In the frontal impact test, the protection to the head and neck of the driver and front passenger was found to be good. The chest of both occupants had adequate protection. Marginal protection was noted for the knees, as these could be impacted by dangerous structures located behind the fascia. Left tibias of the driver and front passenger showed good protection.
For the right tibias, marginal protection was noted for the driver and adequate protection for the front passenger. The bodyshell was found to be stable and capable of enduring further loadings. However, the footwell area was found to be unstable. In the side impact tests, good protection was noted for the head, abdomen and pelvis. Adequate protection was noted for the chest.
Side pole impact test was not performed, since the vehicle does not offer side head protection as standard. Due to this, zero points were given in this specific test. The ESC systems worked as expected and were acceptable as per Global NCAP’s latest standards. Seat belt reminder also functioned as per standards set by Global NCAP.
Concern expressed by Global NCAP
Global NCAP has expressed concern about the lack of side head protection in the Africa-spec Corolla Cross. The safety watchdog pointed out that cars being sold in Africa often do not have the same safety features offered as standard in other markets. Global NCAP has urged that manufacturers maintain the same safety standards across all markets. The organization has also called for stronger regulatory standards in Africa.
Child Occupant Protection
Total points scored were 33 out of max 49. The SUV received a 3-star rating in Child Occupant Protection. In the frontal impact test, the rearward facing child seat (3-year dummy) was not able to prevent head exposure. Full protection was noted for the 18-month dummy. In the side impact test, the CRS for the 18-month dummy provided full side impact protection. However, the CRS for the 3-year dummy failed to protect the head.
