Toyota Corolla Cross receives just two stars for adult safety, AA voices concern
One of South Africa’s most popular vehicles, the Toyota Corolla Cross, has received just two stars for adult occupant protection
Image: Global NCAP’s #SaferCarsForAfrica
One of South Africa’s most popular vehicles, the Toyota Corolla Cross, has received just two stars for adult occupant protection in Global NCAP’s #SaferCarsForAfrica crash tests.
This comes just a few months after South Africans were shocked to learn that the Hyundai Grand i10, one of the country’s best‑selling hatchbacks, scored a zero‑star rating for adult occupant protection in the same crash‑test programme.
According to the Automobile Association (AA), the Corolla Cross scored just two stars for adult occupant protection in the Global NCAP crash tests.
The AA said that the SUV does not offer standard side head protection for front and rear passengers, leaving occupants exposed to serious injury in side-impact collisions. Despite this, the vehicle scored three stars for child occupant protection.
Safety failures
Global NCAP’s assessment revealed several key safety shortcomings:
- The footwell area was found to be unstable and could not withstand further loading, although the bodyshell itself was rated as stable.
- A side pole impact test was not performed because the vehicle lacks standard side head protection for both front and rear passengers. This exposes occupants’ heads to the risk of severe injury, even in a low-speed collision with a pole or tree.
- Side-impact tests showed good protection for the abdomen and pelvis, with adequate protection to the chest.
- For child occupants, the Corolla Cross scored three stars, but the lack of a passenger airbag disconnection system meant the head of a three-year-old dummy was exposed during both frontal and side impacts
Global NCAP CEO Richard Woods said manufacturers know how to make safer cars, and African consumers deserve the same safety standards as other markets.
“Manufacturers like Toyota know how to build safer vehicles and consumers in Africa deserve the same levels of safety performance which are fitted standard in other parts of the world. Highlighting this disparity and democratising vehicle safety in Africa is a Global NCAP priority.”
AA Chief Executive Officer, Bobby Ramagwede, said the results were "deeply concerning", adding that there is no excuse for the lack of side head protection in the popular Toyota Corolla Cross.
“These results are deeply concerning. There really is no excuse for the lack of side head protection in the popular Toyota Corolla Cross. This again highlights a continuing pattern in which vehicles sold in Africa do not meet the same safety standards applied in other regions. South African motorists deserve better, especially exasperated in this case considering that the Corolla Cross is locally built for local consumption at Toyota’s Prospecton plant in KwaZulu-Natal.
“The two-star rating reinforces the urgent need for manufacturers to commit to equal safety for all markets. This result underlines why Africa urgently needs stronger regulatory standards and greater manufacturer accountability. The AA believes no vehicle should be sold here without side head protection for front and rear rows. Safety should never be an optional extra, and certainly not reserved for markets outside Africa"
mthobisi.nozulela@iol.co.za
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