No excuse for lack of side head protection in two star Toyota Corolla Cross
The absence of standard side head protection for the Toyota Corolla Cross results in two stars for adult occupant protection, in our #SaferCarsForAfrica campaign.
The model’s standard safety equipment includes driver and passenger frontal airbags, side body airbags, driver knee airbag and Electronic Stability Control (ESC), but no side head protection in the South African market.
The crash test report noted:
The footwell area was found to be unstable and not capable of withstanding further loadings, although the bodyshell was rated as stable.
Side pole impact was not performed as the car does not offer standard side head protection for front and rear rows. The lack of this kind of protection exposes the head to the risk of severe injury even in a low speed side impact with a pole or tree.
Side impact showed good protection to the abdomen and pelvis, with adequate protection to the chest.
Child protection receives three stars, owing to the lack of passenger airbag disconnection and the head of the three-year-old dummy being exposed in both side and frontal impact tests.
Richard Woods, Chief Executive Officer of Global NCAP, said:
“Manufacturers like Toyota know how to build safer vehicles and consumers in Africa deserve the same levels of safety performance which are fitted as standard in other parts of the world. Highlighting this disparity and democratising vehicle safety in Africa is a Global NCAP priority.”
Bobby Ramagwede, Chief Executive Officer of the Automobile Association of South Africa, said:
“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.”
The Toyota Corolla Cross was tested as part of the #SaferCarsForAfrica campaign.
Toyota Corolla Cross
Read the full crash test report
Watch the crash test video
Download the crash test images
Note to editors
Global NCAP is a UK registered charity working internationally to democratise vehicle safety in support of the UN Global Goals.
Between 2014 and 2026 Global NCAP has completed more than 100 safety assessments which have acted as an important catalyst in the safety improvement of Indian and African cars.
Global NCAP has launched a newsletter, IMPACT, to share information about developments across the global road safety community. Subscribe here: https://www.globalncap.org/impact.
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