Here is Datsun’s reaction to the zero star safety rating
After scoring a dismally low rating of zero in the safety crash test done by Global NCAP’s new Indian division, a global car-safety watchdog has called on Nissan to immediately withdraw its Datsun Go model from the Indian market. Of course, the Datsun Go is also available in South Africa, so what does this mean for Datsun Go’s future in this country? On one side it’s a spectacularly low-priced vehicle, but on the other side the Go is also now proved to be officially so unsafe, that even airbags won’t help much anyway.
Global NCAP chairman Max Mosley, former FIA president, has written to Nissan chairman and chief executive officer, Carlos Ghosn, calling for an urgent withdrawal of the Datsun Go from India and related markets.
Global NCAP said in a post on its website regarding the crash test: “The vehicle structure collapsed and was rated unstable during the test. The high forces placed on the crash test dummies posed a grave risk of death or serious injury.”
Mosley said: “It is extremely disappointing that Nissan has authorised the launch of a brand-new model that is so clearly sub-standard. As presently engineered, the Datsun Go will certainly fail to pass the United Nation’s frontal impact regulation.”
But, what does Datsun SA say about all of this?
In an interview with Datsun South Africa’s general manager, Des Fenner, he commented that they have heard from the media there is a letter being sent to them and at this time Datsun is not ready to provide any comments before they get more information.
He went on to say, ”As previously indicated, we believe road safety is a key concern globally and in India, but is not a fixed or ‘one-for-all’ issue (it differs by countries and evolves through time, as the traffic and society conditions change).”
”Datsun GO meets required local vehicle regulations in India and South Africa and was developed with a strong intention to deliver the best adapted solutions to the local conditions…”
So, is offering standard safety precautions for a price tag plausible? It seems like this is big no-no. If you are thinking of getting a budget-buy car that is also impressively safe, then you might want to take a look at the modestly-priced Chevrolet Spark.