We are talking about the Toyota Starlet hatchback, which is the "twin" of the Suzuki Baleno, which is sold in South Africa. The tests were conducted by Global NCAP. The result is 0 stars for the protection of adult passengers.
What happened during the frontal impact?
- Leg area and body stiffness are unstable;
- The structure cannot withstand further loads, and there are serious structural vulnerabilities.
Side impact: there are no side airbags – head and chest protection is considered "poor". The organizers refused to test the side impact on the pole at all.
The children in the salon received 3 stars. A 3-year-old mannequin hit the elements of the cabin with his head during a frontal impact. In case of a side impact, it's the same.
Toyota South Africa has already responded: an outdated version has been tested, the current generation of the Starlet is different.
