South Africans should not compare the results of recent vehicle safety tests with those for cars assessed before August 2025.
A key change in the assessment protocols for Global NCAP ratings means that almost all the vehicles previously tested would have achieved two or fewer stars for adult occupant protection.
The Automobile Association of South Africa (AA) recently revealed that one of South Africa’s best-selling cars — the Toyota Corolla Cross — achieved a 2-star Global NCAP safety rating.
The assessment was the latest in a series of independent tests done by Germany’s ADAC for the AA’s #SaferCarsForAfrica initiative.
The organisation performs frontal and side-impact collision tests, then assesses damage to the vehicle and dummies to determine the severity of injuries occupants could sustain to different parts of their bodies.
Two separate ratings are given for adult and child occupants, primarily based on the damage to the dummies and the vehicle’s standard safety features.
The 2-star rating surprised many South Africans, as the Corolla Cross model sold in Europe had achieved a 5-star Euro NCAP rating in 2022.
That model features a far more extensive suite of safety features as standard, allowing it to achieve a much higher score despite stricter testing protocols.
Despite an initially scathing press release about the test results, Automobile Association CEO Bobby Ramagwede told Cars.co.za that a 2-star Global NCAP rating was “neither good nor bad”.
Ramagwede said consumers had to look more closely at the test’s findings, and highlighted that the locally-made Corolla Cross was effectively capped at 2 stars due to the lack of curtain airbags in its standard kit.
This requirement was only added in amendments to the Global NCAP assessment protocols to determine the star ratings in August 2025.
These dictate that curtain airbags and Electronic Stability Control (ESC) must be fitted as standard for a vehicle to achieve a 3-star or higher rating for adult occupant protection.
ESC is standard across all Corolla Cross models built and sold locally. However, Toyota only fits curtain airbags in the more expensive XR and GR variants, not the entry-level and mid-tier Xs and Xi models.
The revised assessment protocols also require that vehicles provide better protection for pedestrians in the event of a collision. The following table summarises the NCAP criteria.
| Level of adult protection | Minimum accident score required | ESC | Curtain Airbags | Pedestrian protection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 stars | 27.00 | Must be standard and proven with test certificate | Must be standard, with official pole test required | Official test required |
| 4 stars | 22.00 | Must be standard and proven with test certificate | Must be standard, with official pole test required | Test certificate required |
| 3 stars | 16.00 | Must be standard and proven with test certificate | Must be standard, with official pole test required | Test certificate required |
| 2 stars | 10.00 | Must be standard and proven with test certificate | None | None |
| 1 star | 4.00 | None | None | None |
| 0 stars | 0.00 | None | None | None |
Only one of 28 tested models would score 3 or more stars
MyBroadband analysed the crash test results of all 28 cars tested for #SaferCarsForAfrica since 2017 and found that only one had curtain airbags — the Nissan Magnite.
All the other models, including several which had previously scored three stars or more, had two or fewer front airbags, meaning they would have been capped at a 2-star rating with the new stricter protocols.
If the Corolla Cross made in South Africa had been tested before that date, it would have exceeded the minimum score for a 5-star rating in adult occupant protection.
However, it is unclear precisely what overall rating it would have received, as pedestrian protection also factors into the equation.
The Corolla Cross in South Africa does not have a certificate for the GTR 9 — UN 127 Pedestrian protection regulation and has no extraordinary pedestrian safety features as standard.
Despite its relatively high score for adult occupant protection, Ramagwede nonetheless urged Toyota South Africa to consider installing curtain airbags in its entry-level models, as head safety is paramount.
Don’t miss the latest news
