Latin NCAP Latest Result: Another Zero Star For GM

The Chevrolet Spark GT scores no stars for adult and child occupant protection.

The latest crash test result of the New Car Assessment Programme for Latin America and the Caribbean (Latin NCAP), continue to disappoint with a zero star result for both adult and child occupant protection, for a popular Chevrolet model.

The Chevrolet Spark GT’s (Classic) most basic safety equipped version and manufactured in India, scored zero stars for adult and child occupant protection. The Spark GT is a popular model in Mexico and Colombia.

Commenting on the latest crash test results, Alejandro Furas, Latin NCAP Secretary General said,

“This is another disappointment from General Motors, especially in a model that has the potential to offer high protection levels, as it did when its basic version equipped with 6 airbags was tested by Euro NCAP in 2009 and scored four stars. It is unacceptable that the European version of the Spark GT, which included airbags, is offered at a similar price to the Latin American version, which has no airbags.

“In regards child occupancy, Latin NCAP was surprised that the Child Restraint System was installed forward facing by General Motors’ for the 18 month child fitment, the global tendency is to keep child passengers rearward facing as much as possible, in 2015 Toyota rearward faced all the way up to 3 years old. It is a shame that a global car manufacturer like General Motors does not offer as standard well-known safety features. It is hard to believe that this kind of discrimination towards the Latin Americans consumers continues, whilst Global NCAP and the road safety community pledges for the democratisation of car safety”.

María Fernanda Rodríguez, Latin NCAP President said:

“Once again we are very disillusioned by General Motors. As a global brand they offer good safety levels for other regions, they should show that all consumers, regardless of geography, are valued the same when it comes to safety. We expect GM to follow other brands, who have made progress in equalising safety. GM have said that they aim improve the safety levels of their cars in the future, change needs to come faster as we are very concerned about the number of consumers who are today travelling in unsafe cars and will continue to do so without change in the upcoming years. Long term measure are not good enough, Latin American consumers need safer cars now”.

Chevrolet Spark GT

The Spark GT (Classic) that was tested was the most basic safety version available in the Latin NCAP market. The lack of airbags explained the poor result, as the structure was rated as stable in the frontal crash test. The low score in Child Occupant Protection is explained by the high readings by the dummies during the crash test and the lack of proper instructions for proper Child Restraint System installation. The Spark GT (Classic) was not tested for side impact because the frontal test had already yielded a zero star car.

Watch the crash test video
Download crash test image

About Latin NCAP

The Latin New Car Assessment Programme (Latin NCAP) was launched in 2010 to develop a regional system of independent crashworthiness and safety rating across Latin America and Caribbean (LAC). Latin NCAP replicates similar consumer testing programmes developed over the last thirty years in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia, and which have proved to be very effective in improving the safety of motor vehicles. Since 2010 Latin NCAP has published the results of more than seventy cars in seven test phases.

Latin NCAP acknowledges the support received by the Global New Car Assessment Programme (Global NCAP), International Consumer Research and Testing (ICRT), FIA Foundation, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and Bloomberg Philanthropies Global Road Safety Initiative.

Latin NCAP is an Associate member of Global NCAP and supports the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 and the Stop the Crash Partnership.

More info: www.latinncap.com