Volkswagen Golf VII Becomes Latin NCAP’s First Five-Star Model For Child Occupant Safety
The Volkswagen Golf has joined Latin NCAP’s growing “club of five stars models” scoring the maximum possible star rating in adult occupant safety. It also became the very first model to achieve the maximum possible stars, five, for child occupant safety in Latin NCAP.
Latin NCAP awarded a five-star rating to the Volkswagen’s Golf after testing the car in two crash tests: frontal impact test* at 64 kph and side impact test** at 50 kph (UN95). The Golf’s good performance in child occupant protection was assisted by the standard fitment of the ISOFIX*** child restraint system top tethers and anchorages, very good dynamics and capability to accommodate most of the Child Restraint Systems (CRS) available in the market. This brought the Golf to achieve five stars in Child Occupant protection for the first time in Latin NCAP.
Taken together the five-star ratings for adult and child occupants, the Golf becomes the best combined results awarded so far by Latin NCAP. It is remarkable that the Volkswagen Golf offers the following safety features in the most basic safety equipped version: side airbags for front passengers, side head curtain airbags for front and rear seats and Electronic Stability Control (ESC). These features will soon be assessed by Latin NCAP.
María Fernanda Rodriíguez, President of Latin NCAP and President of Fundación Gonzalo Rodríguez: “The Fundación Gonzalo Rodríguez has been working for 14 years on child road safety. This is a very special day for us as partners and promoters of Latin NCAP Program in our region, since it is the first time we have achieved a five-star result for adult and child occupant safety. Congratulations to Volkswagen on such a performance. This shows that it is possible to combine safety, comfort and aesthetic appeal. Evidence shows that in our region we have the knowledge, elements, responsibility and sensitivity required to work professionally in the car industry. I hope that other manufacturers and governments set their goals as high as Volkswagen and start working towards the protection and benefit of the consumers, people like you and me. Congratulations to both Toyota and Volkswagen on their five-star models, especially to Volkswagen which achieved the highest safety score for adults and children”.
Toyota Corolla also achieved five stars for adult occupant safety and four stars for child occupant safety. Latin NCAP awarded five stars rating to the Corolla after testing the car in two crash tests: frontal impact test at 64 kph and side impact test at 50 kph (UN95). The car’s good performance in child occupant protection was assisted by the standard fitment of the ISOFIX child restraint system top tethers and anchorages, very good dynamics and capability to accommodate most of the CRS available in the market. The Corolla only narrowly missed meeting the requirements to reach the maximum star rating in Child Occupant safety.
Alejandro Furas, Latin NCAP General Secretary and Global NCAP Technical Director: “Latin NCAP is pleased with the Corolla’s result and Volkswagen Golf’s five stars for Child and Adult Occupant protection. We encourage all other car manufacturers to follow Toyota and Volkswagen’s steps and bring shortly to Latin America five-star performing cars in all price ranges. The Golf tested is produced in Mexico which shows that locally produced models can accomplish high scores. Even with today’s positive results, the push from local governments is still missing to bring a real change in vehicle safety in Latin America. Latin NCAP encourages local governments to make mandatory the United Nations regulations: UN94, UN95, UN16, UN14, UN127 for pedestrian protection and UN13H for Electronic Stability Control, as it recommends the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020.”
YOUTUBE
