Crash test puts paid to Nissan’s safety claims

“The safety of our customers is Nissan’s top priority. All our cars meet or exceed regulations in all countries in which they are sold.”

That’s Nissan South Africa’s response to the shocking revelation that the body shell of its NP300 “Hardbody” double-cab – made in its Rossyln‚ Pretoria plant and marketed as “African Tough” – collapsed in a crash test conducted in Munich two months ago by renowned car safety organisation Global NCAP (New Car Assessment Programme).

The bakkie was given a safety rating for adults of zero stars – because of the “poor protection” it offered to the driver’s head and chest – and two stars for the youngsters strapped into child seats in the back.

“The occupant compartment completely failed to absorb the energy of the crash‚ resulting in a high risk of fatality or injury‚” said David Ward‚ secretary general of Global NCAP.

Ward also slammed Nissan’s “safety shield” protection claims as “grossly misleading”.

Nissan appears to be unfazed by NCAP’s damning comments‚ saying the bakkie was “a tried and trusted partner for businesses and entrepreneurs‚ providing reliability and affordability”.

The bakkie – its 704 sales last month making it the sixth most sold light commercial vehicle in SA – was one of the four vehicles bought by Global NCAP from local dealerships this year for the sole purpose of being sent to Germany for crash testing.

All our cars meet or exceed regulations in all countries in which they are sold

BASHED UP: Nissan, who claims to prioritise the safety of its customers, has received a blow after the bodyshell of its NP300 doublecab collapsed in a crash test in Germany.