While Tera may not be launched in India, Volkswagen is mulling an entirely new sub-4-meter SUV for India based on the MQB A0-IN platform
Manufactured in Brazil, Volkswagen Tera caters primarily to Latin American and African markets. Deliveries have just commenced in Brazil and now the SUV has been crash tested by Latin NCAP. Volkswagen Tera has secured a full 5-star rating, reinforcing the brand’s strong commitment to safety. Let’s check out the crash test results in more detail.
Volkswagen Tera – Adult Occupant Safety
The model tested had safety equipment such as 6-airbags, electronic stability control (ESC), seat belt reminder, belt pretensioner and load limiter and speed assist system. ADAS package is optional with the Tera SUV. In the Adult Occupant safety tests, Tera scored 35.95 points or 89.88% overall. Protection to the head and neck of the driver and front passenger was found to be good. Chest protection was good for the front passenger and marginal for the driver.
Protection to the tibia of the driver and front passenger was found to be good. The footwell area was found to be stable. It was noted that the bodyshell was stable and could withstand further loadings. In the side impact test, the head, abdomen and pelvis were found to have good protection. Adequate protection was noted for the chest.
In the side pole impact, good protection was noted for the head, abdomen and pelvis. Marginal protection was noted for the chest. In the whiplash test, the adult neck had good protection. Tera SUV fulfilled the UN R32 rear impact structure requirements. Full score was granted for AEB City.
Child Occupant Safety
In the Child Occupant safety tests, Volkswagen Tera scored 42.75 points or 87.25% overall. Rearward facing ISOFIX was effective in preventing head exposure for the 1.5-year-old child dummy. However, protection to the chest was limited. Similar results were noted for the 3-year-old child dummy. In side impact tests, both child restraint systems provided full protection. Full marks were given in ISOFIX installation assessment.
Pedestrian Protection
In pedestrian protection tests, Volkswagen Tera scored 36.37 points or 75.77% overall. The SUV complies with regulation UN 127 for pedestrian protection. Most of the head impact areas on the hood had good or adequate protection. However, protection in case of impacts across the windscreen and A-pillars was in the range of marginal, weak to poor.
Protection to the upper leg ranged from good to adequate at the centre. Protection to the lower leg was mostly adequate and also good towards the ends. Full marks were given for AEB VRU (Autonomous Emergency Braking for Vulnerable Road Users).
Safety Assist Systems
In Safety Assist, Volkswagen Tera scored 36.45 points or 84.76% overall. Seat belt reminder is available for all seats and ESC is offered as standard. In the ADAC Moose test, Tera was rated at 95 km/h. In the Consumer Moose test, the max performance was 75 km/h. Tera is equipped with a speed limitation device as standard.
Optional features available with Tera include lane support systems (LSS), road edge detection (RED) and blind spot detection (BSD). These were not tested since these are not part of Latin NCAP requirements. Volkswagen Tera received a full score for AEB Interurban.
