MaltaToday previous editions

MT 17 April 2016

Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/667669

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 61 of 63

maltatoday, SUNDAY, 17 APRIL 2016 VI Motoring LATIN road safety leaders have accused General Motors and other major car brands of delib- erately removing safety features from vehicles in order to increase profit margins in South America. In a meeting hosted by Latin NCAP in Washington, USA, several members of road safety organisations expressed their anger at GM, claiming that it has actively chosen to sell models of its vehicles without basic safety equipment to the Latin markets, despite selling those same mod- els elsewhere with airbags and electronic stability control systems as standard. Several GM models have achieved zero or one star ratings in Latin NCAP crash testing, with many more from other key manufacturers receiving similarly dismal results. The Chevrolet Aveo, which is Mexico's best selling car with 80,000 units sold in 2015, falls well short of crash safety stand- ards with zero stars to its name. Yet one recent survey said that 97% of Aveo owners in Mexico believe their cars are of a safe standard, illustrating just how unaware the population is of this problem. Another GM product, the Chev- rolet Sail, has recently received zero stars due to its "unstable structure", and perhaps surpris- ingly, Ford's Ranger - which is pick-up truck - achieved just three stars despite its large size. Latin NCAP said the average result came thanks to the car's lack of ESP. In other markets, the system is standard fitment. Latin NCAP tests are less strict than the equivalent crash tests in Europe and North America, em- phasising just how unsafe these vehicles are, and one speaker went so far as to call GM 'General Manslaughter'. American con- sumer advocate Ralph Nader said that cars with no airbags for the Latin markets were built alongside cars with ESP and airbags for North America. He called this an act of "wilful manslaughter". Mexico currently has more than 25-million vehicles on its road, five times more than three decades ago. But 17,000 people die each year in road accidents, which is 10 times more than the UK where there are nearly 15-million more cars on the road. However, a lot of the deaths can be attributed to lower driving standards and dangerous road infrastructure, but experts say unsafe vehicles account for the vast majority. Though GM isn't the only car maker with a bad safety record, it is the worst of the major manufac- turers in this region. David Ward, Global NCAP Secretary General, has now written to Mary Barra Chairman and CEO of General Motors calling on her company address safety concerns in Latin America. Ward said: "GM has chosen to exploit the weak application of minimum crash test standards in Latin America to provide a version of the car that the company would be unable to sell either in Europe or North America. "Two years ago GM announced a 'Speak Up for Safety' pro- gramme billed as an important step toward embedding a cus- tomer and safety-centred culture in every aspect of the business. Global NCAP warmly welcomes these commitments but believes that they now must have practi- cal application in Latin America and in other emerging automotive markets." The Latin NCAP test is now toughening up its rating system so cars that score three or more stars must be fitted with airbags and ESP as standard. Previously, ESP was not required for this level. In response, GM has said it is investing $5 billion in develop- ing an all-new vehicle architecture to deal with "the rapidly changing demands of customers in Latin America and other global growth markets". GM said these models would be engineered with dual front airbags and three-point safety belts for all occupants. They will also meet UN ECE standard for front and side impact tests. GM expects models to be built off this platform to replace all its big-selling models in the Latin America region, with the first mod- els due in the 2019 model year. Up to two million vehicles per year will be spun off the architecture. Before these vehicles reach pro- duction, GM says it will continue to improve the availability of front airbags in its models in the Latin America market from the 2017 model year. * T&C Apply Mdina Road, Qormi, QRM 9010 Tel: 2269 2120 Fax: 2146 6285 kiasales@cil.com.mt | www.kia.com/mt Facebook www.facebook.com/KiaMalta EURO 2016™ Opening Match Tickets Book your New Sportage Test Drive today & Get the chance to WIN! WIN An all-inclusive trip for you & a guest to Paris, France at the courtesy of Kia Malta! Fiat 500 Second Skin: Your customized Fiat 500 FIAT'S concept for its FIAT 500 family was always that of a family of cars that keeps growing through innovation, both in terms of technology as well as aesthetics and overall design. And true to this commitment, FIAT has just launched the FIAT 500 Second Skin, a new and exclusive collection of models that widen any customer's opportunities for customisation. "Fiat design is about three things namely design, practically and fun. With the introduction of this new Second Skin collec- tion, FIAT continues to stress the fun aspect of the 500 model as any driver's opportunity to address his unique personality through an image and designs that can be customized accord- ing to the client's requirements," explained Francesca Mamo, Managing Director of FIAT Malta. The FIAT 500 Second Skin models come in a variety of new colours, trims and unique outer designs such as 'stitched' effect, individually coloured side mirrors, striped and camou- flaged effect and more. These include the Comics Nero Giallo, Comics Nero Rosso, Camouflage, Burlington and Summer. "Today we are aware that for many customers, looking good is important. This is why FIAT makes cars that turn heads. Its cars are packed with innovative design twists that not only make each and every journey easier and safer but happier too. We know this and this has been confirmed very recently as well when the first three models of the new FIAT 500 Second Skin that arrived in our showrooms sold straight away," added Francesca Mamo. "Style is a matter of character; you either have it or you don't. With the FIAT 500 Second Skin models, no one will doubt your stylish attitude," concluded Francesca Mamo. GM accused of wilful manslaughter with unsafe cars

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of MaltaToday previous editions - MT 17 April 2016