One Star For Nissan March While Mazda Debuts With Two Star Adult Rating

The fourth round of 2018 results of the New Car Assessment Programme for Latin America and the Caribbean, Latin NCAP, was released today with a poor result for the Nissan March and with the first Mazda model tested for the region.

The Nissan March, manufactured in Mexico and Brazil, achieved one star for Adult Occupant Protection and two stars for Child Occupant Protection. The Nissan March was tested in 2015 and audited in 2016, under the previous protocol, with its rating for adult occupant protection downgraded from four to three stars. In 2018, as was done with other models, Latin NCAP extended the assessment of the model to show how the car would perform under the new protocol including a side impact test. The frontal chest compression was high and the car showed unstable bodyshell performance contributing to the one star for adult occupant protection. The side impact chest received marginal protection. The lack of Seatbelt Reminders (SBR) as standard, which are key elements to warn passengers to use the seatbelt, contributed with the low score. The March does not offer ISOFIX anchorages as standard, therefore, the Child Restraint Systems (CRS) were installed using adult seatbelt that showed, together with the selected CRS, limited protection to child occupants explaining the two stars for Child Occupant Protection.

The Mazda 2, manufactured in Mexico, achieved two stars for Adult Occupant Protection and three stars for Child Occupant Protection. The Mazda 2 offered good protection for the frontal and side impact for the adults in the crash tests. The model offers Seatbelt Reminders (SBR) in both front seats however the loss of points are explained by the SBR not meeting Latin NCAP requirements. Without a seatbelt the protection of the car in a crash is expected to be worse than the one tested, this is why SBR has high relevance in Latin NCAP assessments. Mazda 2 could increase the star rating by improving the SBR performance and adding Electronic Stability Control (ESC) meeting Latin NCAP requirements. Child Occupant Protection was good achieving three stars for in frontal and side impact using CRS with ISOFIX thanks to standard ISOFIX anchorages. Moreover, the model offers 3 points seatbelts as standard in all seating positions. It is expected that Mazda will soon improve the Mazda 2 for better star rating.

Alejandro Furas, Secretary General of Latin NCAP said:
“It is encouraging to find more compact models with good child occupant protection and with the potential good adult passenger protection as standard while it is still a concern the low levels of protection offered by top sellers like the Nissan March. It is promising to know that car manufacturers are committed to improve recent results. Independent information to consumers has become a very powerful and efficient tool that is already pushing Latin American market to safer cars.

Governments should encourage and promote star rating for all cars sold in their markets to speed up the change to safer cars. Governments should encourage and create incentives to cars with active safety technologies like ESC and Autonomous Emergency Braking systems in order to shift the safety levels of new cars sold in the region and to line up with global requirements”

Ricardo Morales, Latin NCAP Chairman of the Board of Directors said:
“During these years Latin NCAP results have been promoting positive reactions in consumers and recently also in manufacturers. Consumers started to demand safer cars and manufacturers are listening to this request. Now it is time for Governments from Latin America and the Caribbean to show a positive signal and also commit to promote Latin NCAP star ratings for safer cars. The benefit of this simple action is huge, to protect consumers and to save lives”.

Nissan March

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Mazda 2

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About Latin NCAP

The New Car Assessment Programme for Latin America and the Caribbean, 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 ninety cars in nine 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