JOHANNESBURG - Global NCAP’s #SaferCarsForAfrica initiative has made waves in recent years after crash testing various South African-spec cars, in the process exposing a number of unsafe ‘zero-star’ vehicles such as the Nissan NP300, GWM Steed and Chery QQ.
But the subject of today’s story is at the other end of the scale. Mahindra’s XUV300 compact SUV has just become the first #SaferCarsForAfrica to receive the maximum five-star safety rating.
“Global NCAP launches a new #SaferCarsForAfrica crash test result today in partnership with the Automobile Association of South Africa (AA) and with the welcome support of the FIA Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies,” Global NCAP said in a statement. “In a milestone moment for vehicle safety, the India manufactured Mahindra XUV300 becomes Global NCAP’s first five star car in Africa.”
The XUV300 achieved a five star rating for the Indian market in 2020. Global NCAP’s Indian and African programmes share the same assessment protocols and following a production compliance review, the rating has been confirmed for the model’s roll out in Africa.
“We are delighted to see the first five star result in our Safer Cars for Africa project,” said AA South Africa CEO Willem Groenewald.
“This is a landmark moment for vehicle safety in Africa. We are particularly pleased to recognise the continued safety commitment from Mahindra. The XUV300 was engineered in India and demonstrates the capability of the domestic Indian auto industry to achieve excellence in safety design and performance for global export markets.”
Good protection all round
The protection offered to the driver and passenger’s head and neck was deemed good. The bodyshell was rated as stable and it was capable of withstanding further loadings, and the footwell area was rated as stable.
As for child safety, the child seat for the three-year-old was able to prevent excessive forward movement during the impact offering fair protection to the chest. The vehicle offers standard ISOFIX and top tether anchorages in the two outboard rear seats, but does not offer three-point belts in all seating positions.