Toyota fires back at AA over ‘obsolete’ Starlet crash test ratings
· Citizen
Official comment from Riaan Esterhuysen, senior manager product PR and corporate communications at Toyota South Africa Motors, is that the company is aware of the recent statement issued by the Automobile Association (AA) regarding the latest Global NCAP results for the Starlet.
Safety is fundamental at Toyota
Toyota South Africa Motors said that the vehicle assessed by the AA is an obsolete model that is not representative of the Starlet currently available in the South African market.
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It said the Toyota Starlet, on sale locally, has been significantly enhanced and complies with local regulatory requirements and Toyota’s global safety standards.
“At Toyota, safety is a fundamental and non-negotiable priority and NCAP ratings are one measure among many,” said Esterhuysen.
“We continuously invest in advanced safety engineering, robust structural design and accessible in-vehicle safety technologies to protect drivers, passengers and all road users.”
Starlet’s safety features
The current Toyota Starlet is equipped with a suite of active and passive safety features, including standard side and curtain airbags.
The model is designed to provide reassurance and protection across a wide range of driving conditions and a high-strength body structure engineered for improved crash protection.
Other standard safety features across both the Toyota Starlet and Starlet Cross range includes Vehicle Stability Control, Hill-Assist Control, ABS with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution and ISOFIX points for secure child seat mounting.
The Toyota Starlet in Xi and Xs now comes standard with side and curtain airbags which along with the driver and passenger airbags brings the total up to six airbags. Previously, only the flagship Xr model featured six airbags.
“Toyota remains committed to transparency, continuous improvement and upholding the highest safety standards across our product range.
“We encourage customers to engage with authorised dealers or official Toyota platforms to obtain accurate, model-specific information when making purchasing decisions,” said Esterhuysen.