Toyota Defends Crash Safety

TOBY HAGON

KOMPAS.com - In the lead up to the release of the latest controversial ANCAP crash test ratings Toyota has defended the safety of its Camry Hybrid.

Toyota has fired a shot at the world’s leading independent crash test authority, NCAP, ahead of its latest media announcement today that’s expected to slam the car maker for missing out on the maximum five-star safety rating with its Camry Hybrid.

The world’s largest car maker has pre-empted what some consider a media stunt by Australasian division of the New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) to again cast the spotlight on a brand that’s been forced recently to recall millions of cars overseas due to safety concerns.

ANCAP will today expected release results of recent crash tests that show the Toyota Camry Hybrid scored four stars in crash testing, the same as a Chinese-made Great Wall Motors four-wheel-drive.

While ANCAP has recommended cars with a four-star rating, it is expected to highlight the fact that what is billed as “Australia’s most advanced car” doesn’t achieve the maximum five-star rating of rivals such as the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon.

Toyota decided against fitting a passenger seatbelt warning light and making modifications to the steering column to reduce the potential for knee injuries to the driver, making it impossible to receive a five-star rating. Similar changes were made to the structurally identical V6-powered Toyota Aurion that now scores five stars in ANCAP testing.

“Toyota Australia rejects as a distortion any suggestion that Camry models provide a level of safety that is the same as cars that do not offer such vital life-saving technology or have fewer than Camry’s standard six airbags,” the statement read in a swipe at the expected four-star rating of the Great Wall Motors vehicle and the five-star achieved by the locally made Falcon, which controversially does not have life-saving side curtain airbags as standard on most models.

“Toyota conducts an extensive range of tests on all its vehicles, providing a level of safety that meets or exceeds safety standards in every country in which they are sold.”

Since its inception NCAP has been in the firing line of car makers around the world.

While most now acknowledge the consumer benefits of NCAP – most using it in their advertising or brochures – they also like to point out its limitations in looking at a handful of very specific crashes rather than the broader spectrum of impacts.

Toyota also points to NCAP’s move not to test the latest crash avoidance technologies, including electronic stability control that’s credited with significantly reducing single vehicle crashes by helping to control skids.

Like all Camrys, the Camry Hybrid gets stability control, whereas the Great Walls Motors doesn’t even offer it as an option. The Great Wall also misses out on curtain airbags.

“ANCAP does not test the life-saving benefits of features such as vehicle stability control, traction control and anti-skid brakes – all of which are standard on every Camry,” said Toyota’s statement.

“The Camry range of vehicles offers a comprehensive package of active and passive safety.  Customers can drive these cars with confidence, knowing they have advanced safety features that have been shown to save lives.”

Two weeks ago the chairman of the Australasian division of NCAP, Lauchlan McIntosh, hinted the Camry Hybrid had missed out on the maximum five-star ratings, saying:  “It would be pretty disappointing if it's not five-star, I would have thought. One would have hoped that they would have made some structural changes to the car, given that it is supposed to be such a special car."

The local importer of Great Wall Motors, Ateco, was understandably impressed with the Great Wall’s result, following the disappointment of a two-star rating for one of its utes last year.

“This is the sort of result we were sure Great Wall would achieve soon after their entry to the Australian market,” said Ateco managing director Ric Hull. “We are encouraged both by this result and by the fact that Great Wall are already working on further improvements.”