Australia’s leading independent vehicle safety advocate, the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP), has issued crash test results for three imported utes on the Australian market. All three scored poorly.
The Proton has been on sale locally since 2003 but is effectively a 1990s hand-me-down design from Mitsubishi built under licence by Proton and is not equipped with airbags.
The fitment of airbags made little difference to the result of the Great Wall utes, both of which scored just two stars.
The Chinese maker has two models available: the $19,990 SA220 ute which is an older design and is not equipped with airbags, and the $23,990 V240 ute which is a newer design and is equipped with airbags.
Both scored two stars out of five because the airbags in the newer vehicle did little to prevent the driver dummy head from striking the steering wheel.
Both the Proton Jumbuck and the Great Wall Motors SA220 tested lacked potentially life-saving airbags that can reduce the amount of injury resulting from a crash. All three vehicles tested lacked electronic stability control, which can help a vehicle recover from a skid by sensing a loss of control and individually braking wheels.
“The (GWM) SA220 and the (Proton) Jumbuck lack airbags and other safety features that are expected as standard equipment by new car buyers,” said ANCAP chair, Lauchlan McIntosh, who indicated the airbags in the more expensive GWM ute were not performing their job of protecting occupants.
“Crash statistics show that occupants of one- or two-star vehicles have twice the risk of receiving life-threatening injuries in a crash, compared with four- or five-star vehicles - at a time when four- and five-star ratings are becoming increasingly available for new car buyers,” said Mr McIntosh.
“New vehicles that achieve only a 1 or 2 star ANCAP rating - while meeting the ADRs - are a cause for concern.”
Meanwhile Proton has complained that ANCAP tested a car that is about to be discontinued.
Proton Australia boss John Statari told the Carsales Network that there is less than six months supply of the vehicle.
"We didn't attend the crash test because there was nothing to gain from it. The model is finished," he said.
Proton had told ANCAP for the past 12 months that the Jumbuck was about to be superseded. Proton denies this was a delaying tactic to avoid testing of the vehicle. To retain independence, ANCAP purchases its vehicles from dealerships and chooses the cars from a random selection.
"Car buyers only get one chance at safety, that's why we do random tests," McIntosh said. "The Jumbuck is a popular, affordable model. We have had the Jumbuck on the agenda for some time. Manufacturers collectively are always suggesting they might have another model coming. When we see another model we'll test it."
“We’re a bit confused as to why that vehicle was selected for a test,” Mr Startari said.
“[The Jumbuck] is the last of the models on the old Mitsubishi platforms ... it’s not really fair because one car is a 1990s platform and the other one is a new car.
“[ANCAP] obviously tested Great Wall and were looking around for a comparable test, and there’s not too many light commercial [vehicles] around with no airbags.
“Obviously we’re a company that takes safety very seriously,” he said.
The new Jumbuck will feature improved safety measures including “multiple” airbags, Proton says.
Until it is replaced, the current-model Jumbuck joins the Mitsubishi Express commercial van as the only two new vehicles currently on sale in Australia to have been independently crash tested and receive a one-star crash rating (not all vehicles are independently crash tested).
ANCAP said the Jumbuck’s crash test score fell below that of the Express van, making the ute Australia’s worst-performing vehicle.
1 comments:
how can proton still claim in their advertising that their jumbuck is "the toughest little half-tonner in town."? Which is clearly a flase statment, infact it is completely the opposite as the test shows in great detail. (it really brings meaning to the words "cars kill") Also how are they still on the roads after showing how much of a saftey hazzard they are? I feel sorry for the poor person who owns one. Because they really don't own a tuff and affordable ute they really own a death trap.
Post a Comment
Leave us your comment