Suzuki Baleno improves while Kia achieves top safety with the Sportage

The New Car Assessment Programme for Latin America and the Caribbean, Latin NCAP, publishes today the ninth and last crash tests results for 2025. These results show a great reaction from Suzuki after the selection of the 2 airbags version of the Baleno, rated with one star, by standardizing the 6 airbags version and scoring two stars. The facelifted Kia Sportage achieved five stars. These are the last results before Latin NCAP updated assessment protocols bring significant safety improvements requirements in 2026.

The Suzuki Baleno, produced in India, achieved one star. The Baleno that offers 2 airbags and Electronic Stability Control (ESC) as standard achieved 42.28% in Adult Occupant, 65.46% in Child Occupant, 48.28% in Pedestrian Protection and Vulnerable Road Users and 58.14% in Safety Assist. The car was assessed in frontal impact, side impact, whiplash, pedestrian protection, and ESC. Pole impact test was not performed as the model does not offer side head protection as standard.

In the frontal crash test, the Baleno showed a stable structure combined with a stable footwell area with adequate protection to driver and passenger chests. Despite the asymmetries found in the model, the manufacturer proved same performance in the passenger side for a frontal crash test under the same conditions. Side impact showed weak protection to the chest of the adult. Child occupants showed almost full protection having been installed rearward facing using ISOFIX anchorages following global best practices. The front position failed for all installation of Child Restraint Systems (CRS). The lack of passenger airbag disabling switch to disconnect the airbag when installing a rearward facing CRS in the passenger seat explains the low score for Child Occupant Protection. Passive pedestrian protection showed mostly adequate to marginal protection to the head and poor protection to the upper leg that should be improved. Overall Pedestrian Protection score is average explained by the lack of Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) for Vulnerable Road Users (VRU) points. The poor side impact protection, the lack of Speed Assistance added to the lack of ADAS technologies explain the low star rating.

As a result of Latin NCAP selecting the 2 airbags version of the Baleno, Suzuki decided to improve the basic equipment of the best-selling passenger car in Chile adding standard side body and side curtain airbags for all the region. The updated Baleno with 6 airbags, was tested and achieved two stars. The model achieved 79.38% in Adult Occupant, 65.46% in Child Occupant, 48.28% in Pedestrian Protection and Vulnerable Road Users and 58.14% in Safety Assist. The car was assessed in frontal impact, side impact, side pole impact, whiplash, pedestrian protection, and ESC. The result is valid for units from VIN MBHWBA3S9TGA45406.

Thanks to the added standard side body and curtain airbags, the protection to the head was good and chest showed adequate protection in both side impact scenarios. Child occupants showed almost full protection having been installed rearward facing using ISOFIX anchorages following global best practices. The front position failed for all installation of CRSs. The lack of passenger airbag disabling switch to disconnect the airbag when installing a rearward facing CRS in the passenger seat explains the low score for Child Occupant Protection. Passive pedestrian protection showed mostly adequate to marginal protection to the head, poor protection to the upper leg should be improved. Overall pedestrian protection score is average explained by the lack of AEB VRU points. The lack of Speed Assistance and of ADAS technologies explain the two star rating. The model was tested as a voluntary decision of the manufacturer.

The Kia Sportage, produced in Slovakia, South Korea and United States, achieved five stars. The Sportage that offers 6 airbags and ESC as standard and optional ADAS achieved 89.81% in Adult Occupant, 91.84% in Child Occupant, 70.93% in Pedestrian Protection and Vulnerable Road Users and 98.22% in Safety Assist. The Sportage was first tested in 2021 with 2 standard frontal airbags. The manufacturer upgraded to 6 standard airbags and ESC, volunteering the model for test and achieved three stars. At that time the Sportage offered optional ADAS but its volume was not enough to score points. In 2025 Kia introduced a facelift along with safety updates to the Sportage such as, rear seatbelt reminders, i-Size anchorages, passenger airbag disabling and increased ADAS technologies availability, meeting Latin NCAP requirements. Following Kia’s request, the updated Sportage was tested as a voluntary decision of the manufacturer. The result is valid for all Kia Sportage sold in Latin America with ICE and HEV only, and for units from VIN number KNAPU81DBT7419666 and production date March 17th, 2025.

The Sportage was assessed in frontal impact, side impact, side pole impact, whiplash, pedestrian protection and ESC back in 2022. In 2025 pedestrian protection was reassessed following the facelift and confirming its performance. A further analysis was performed on a hybrid version and all ADAS technologies such as AEB VRU, AEB City and inter urban, Lane Support Systems (LSS) and Blind Spot Detection (BSD) were also assessed. In the original frontal test in 2022 the structure showed stable performance and unstable footwell area. Child Occupant Protection score improved following standardization of passenger airbag disabling switch and i-Size anchorages. Pedestrian protection also improved as a consequence of adding AEB for VRU that achieved almost full score. Safety Assist improved its score after seatbelt reminder became standard in all rear seats added to the availability matching Latin NCAP requirements and full score of LSS, Road Edge Detection and BSD as well as AEB Interurban that reached almost full score.

Alejandro Furas, Secretary General of Latin NCAP said:

“Congratulations to Kia that achieves its 4th five-star model in less than two years. It is a remarkable shift in the company’s policy leading the region with top safety standard for Latin American consumers. Suzuki’s positive reaction to standardize side and curtain airbags reflects the manufacturer’s global commitment to improve safety. Baleno could have achieved a better result if speed limitation would have been standard and matching the requirements and ADAS become available. The manufacturer has the capacity to improve its safety ratings in the region and achieve top rating as it has been doing it other regions. The Baleno result confirms the need for a vehicle safety labelling in the region including Latin NCAP’s star ratings. By just assessing the Baleno, the manufacturer voluntarily improved the model to standard side and curtain airbags in matter of weeks. Countries in the region have made limited progress on labelling, failing to take crucial decisions that could save many lives over the years. It's time they stop looking the other way and, with all the evidence, take action”.

Alberto Escobar, Mobility Director of the Chilean Automobile Club said:

“It is deeply disheartening to see that vehicles not capable of adequately protect the lives of their occupants are still being sold in Chile, and even worse, to witness the State's inaction in addressing this public health problem, which keeps the country with the unfortunate record of ranking last among OECD countries in road safety, with nearly two thousand deaths and more than 70,000 injuries annually due to this cause.

It is urgent to reinstate, at the local level, the work to establish a safety performance labelling system for light and medium-sized vehicles sold in the country, so that consumers have transparent and impartial information about the level of protection these vehicles offer in the event of a traffic accident. Its implementation would not only update the outdated safety labelling system currently in place—which dates back more than 20 years and is limited to administrative information—but would also contribute to providing reliable technical information, presented in a simple way, to help people make responsible decisions when choosing a vehicle.”

Stephan Brodziak, Latin NCAP Chairman said:

“These final results of 2025 clearly illustrate both the challenges and the opportunities facing the automotive industry in Latin America and the Caribbean. Kia’s five-star result with the Sportage confirms that sustained commitment, continuous upgrades and alignment with Latin NCAP five-star requirements lead to top safety performance, even in high-demand and competitive segments. This achievement reinforces the role of informed consumers and independent assessment programs in driving safer vehicles to the market. Suzuki’s reaction is also significant. The decision to standardize side body and curtain airbags across the region in the Baleno shows that transparent safety assessments can trigger rapid improvements. However, the two-star outcome of the updated Baleno also highlights that partial upgrades are not enough. Without a comprehensive approach that includes speed assistance and advanced active safety technologies, vehicles will continue to fall short of the protection levels that road users deserve.

As Latin NCAP prepares to implement its updated 2026 assessment protocol, these results send a clear message: incremental changes will no longer be sufficient. Vehicle safety must be treated as a public health priority, requiring manufacturers to move decisively toward higher standards as a baseline, not as optional features. This level of transparency on safety equipment and performance makes it evident that an urgent, mandatory vehicle safety labelling system is needed in the region. Clear and standardized safety labels, including Latin NCAP star ratings, are essential to ensure consumers can make informed decisions and to accelerate the adoption of safer vehicles across Latin America and the Caribbean.”

Suzuki Baleno (2 airbags)
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Suzuki Baleno (6 airbags)
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Kia Sportage (6 airbags)
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