Nissan Datsun Go crash test results

The Nissan Datsun Go car which is aimed at the Indian market was recently tested for safety. The car failed spectacularly getting 0 out of possible 5 stars. The car comes without air bags and looking at the video of the test, it would not have done much good even if the car had been fitted with them. If the car can get this badly damaged at just 40mph speeds, I am just wondering what would happen at UK highway speeds of 70mph.

MNCs need to stop pushing lousy products into the emerging markets. And India definitely needs to have some minimum safety standards put in place.

Tesla Model S 2014 scores 5/5 in Euro NCAP crash test

The Tesla Model S electric car has scored 5 stars (the maximum) safety rating after testing by the Euro NCAP.

The 4 door saloon falls under the executive class.

Read the full report here.

Right tyres for fuel economy

According to Which!, the British consumer group, the choice of car tyres can actually make a huge difference to fuel economy.

Testing on a Peugeot 308, and 205/55 R16V size (one of the most popular sizes fitted in the UK), they found the the Pirelli Cinturato P7s and the Hankook Kinergy Eco K425 came on top for fuel economy, saving you an average of around £50 a year. These budget tyres were even better than tyres from big names like Continental, Goodyear and Bridgestone.

Hyundai Genesis best upscale sedan

According to new test results from Consumer Reports, out of a test group of 10 upscale sedans including the the Chrysler 300C, Hyundai Genesis, Toyota Avalon, and Acura TL, the Hyundai Genesis came out at top of the CR’s ratings with an Excellent road test score of 92. The car has been on top of the list of upscale sedans since 2009. The 2012 model has a softer, more comfortable ride; a stronger direct injected V6; and a more fuel-efficient eight-speed automatic transmission improving the overall mileage.

A surprise was the Revamped 2011 Chrysler 300C which scored an “Excellent” overall road test score of 80, up from 64 for the previous model. According to David Champion, senior director of Consumer Reports’ Auto Test Center in East Haddam, CT “The 300C’s quick, muscular 5.7-liter V8 engine is now complemented by responsive handling and a more comfortable ride.” He further added: “And, thanks to a major upgrade, its roomy interior is now quieter, more luxurious, and has improved visibility.”

A disappointment was the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, a fuel-efficient family sedan, which scored only 69, a full 20 points below the previously-tested and more popular conventional Sonata GLS.

On the other hand, the all-electric Nissan Leaf scored a respectable 78 points. The Leaf is quick, very quiet, rides comfortably and is easy to get in and out of. However, the limited driving range of only about 75 miles per charge, and the long time it takes to recharge (about 6 hours on 240V) are the main drawbacks.

The full report is available to subscribers of www.ConsumerReports.org and in the November issue of Consumer Reports.

Euro NCAP starts testing electric vehicles

Euro NCAP has published the results of tests on seven new vehicles, including its first test of a fully electric car- the Mitsubishi i-MiEV. The car received a credible four star rating.

The cars were tested in the same test conditions as the other cars in the programme. They paid special attention to post-crash battery integrity and the proper functioning of the battery cut-off switch that isolates the high-voltage battery in the event of a crash. The news release mentioned that no electrical or fire hazards were detected during the testing of the i-MiEV.



Regarding the test results of the other cars, the small off-road 4x4 Dacia Duster didn't do well with an overall rating of only 3 stars. In contrast, the Mitsubishi ASX and the Nissan Juke achieved the coveted 5 star overall rating. Furthermore, the small MPV Hyundai ix20, also received a 5 stars Euro NCAP rating.

Volvo PR failure

I cringe when I see this video. Was supposed to showcase Volvo's automatic stopping feature. However, as you can see, things didn't go as planned.

MOT failure rates published

You want to get into the news but for the right reasons. Well, I am sure Ford UK is not happy with the reports that the brand leads in MOT (the mandatory road testing for vehicles more then 3 years old to ensure that they  meet road safety and environmental standards) failure rates.

This is the first time in history that it has been released following a Freedom of Information (FoI) request by the BBC.

Apparently theFord Transit Connect had the highest failure rate at 30.5%, followed by the Renault Megane and the Ford Transit.

I am not surprised that the Toyota Corolla had the lowest failure rate with just 11.2%.

The data is now available for free on the VOSA website in the PDF format (1,200 pages).

Electric cars tested in the UK

The CABLED (Coventry and Birmingham Low Emission Vehicle Demonstrators) consortium is currently testing a total of 340 electric cars across the UK. This includes the  Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Jaguar Land Rover's _e electric/diesel hybrid, LTI’s TX4E taxis, Mercedes Benz/Smart FourTwo electric drive, Tata Indica Vista EV and the hydrogen-powered Microcab.

The Microcab

The test  seeks to find out how how practical these electric cars under real life conditions would be - this include how they are used and charging information. Recharging points will be provided by Birmingham and Coventry City Councils and Eon. Birmingham University’s hydrogen refuelling station will also be available.

Researchers from Aston University will be analysing the data generated.

Interestingly out of the total cars that will be tested for a year, 110 will be based in Birmingham and Coventry. 25 Mitsubishi i-MiEV cars were passed to test drivers in the West Midlands with the rest will be given to lucky drivers, specially selected by Coventry University researchers. Hope I am one of them.

Safety test results for some family cars

Euro NCAP recently released the test results for seven cars in five different categories. The cars, which are targeted at consumers with families, include the Audi A4, Skoda Superb, Citroen Berlingo, Ford Kuga, the VW T5 Caravelle and two Superminis, the Hyundai i10 and the Seat Ibiza.

All of the cars received four stars in Child Occupant Protection. SO far, no car has received the maximum of 49 points or five stars.

The Child Occupant rating was introduced in November 2003 and is based on the evaluation of the manufacturer’s recommended child restraints for an 18-month infant and a 3-year old child.

For more information, go to www.euroncap.com.

Jaguar XF on Top Gear tomorrow

James May tests the new Jaguar XF on Top Gear tomorrow (Sunday) at 8pm on BBC Two. Really looking forward to watching it.

Euro NCAP test results for the Nssan X Trail

I have always liked the Nissan X trail and I was quite surprised when I learnt that it had only achieved four stars in adult occupant protection test conducted by Euro NCAP recently.



Read the full results of the test here on the Euro NCAP site.

Smart ForTwo receives 4 stars in safety test

The Smart ForTwo supermini received four out of five stars in Euro NCAP’s Adult Occupant protection rating. It was not assessed for child protection as it doesn't have any rear seats.

However, it only received 2 stars for Pedestrian Protection.

Check out Smart's Road to Enlightenment site.

Latest Euro NCAP's test results for the Hyundai I-30, the Ford Mondeo, the Volkswagen Caddy ‘Life’ and the Volkswagen Tiguan

Euro NCAP had released the crash test results for the Hyundai I-30, the Ford Mondeo, the Volkswagen Caddy ‘Life’ and the Volkswagen Tiguan.


Small Family Car

Make and model		Adult Occupant Protection	Child Occupant Protection	Pedestrian Protection
	Hyundai i30	4 stars	3 stars	2 stars

Large Family Car

Make and model		Adult Occupant Protection	Child Occupant Protection	Pedestrian Protection
	Ford Mondeo	5 stars	4 stars	2 stars

Small MPV

Make and model		Adult Occupant Protection	Child Occupant Protection	Pedestrian Protection
	VW Caddy	4 stars	3 stars	2 stars

Small Off-Road 4x4

Make and model		Adult Occupant Protection	Child Occupant Protection	Pedestrian Protection
	VW Tiguan	5 stars	4 stars	2 stars