A Volkswagen Group Africa influencer campaign trumpeting the Polo Vivo’s four-star Global NCAP adult occupant protection score avoids a salient fact.
That the side airbag package on which the rating hinges, is not standard across the range.
It highlights a growing concern that certain car brands in South Africa are failing to standardise critical passive safety features across product ranges.
The top-selling Polo Vivo is among vehicles tested by the Global NCAP Safer Cars for Africa programme, with differing safety specifications between models in the line-up.
Side airbags that offer head protection are standard in the Style (R324,600) and GT (R363,300) models but are listed as a R2,800 option in the base model (R271,900) and middle-grade Life (R294,300 or R326,800 for the automatic).
A panel van version of the Polo Vivo is also sold (R279,990) and has two airbags.
When Global NCAP tested the two-airbag version of the locally-built Polo Vivo in 2024, it scored two stars for adult occupant protection. The car tested did not have electronic stability control (ESC), which was listed as an option. In both tests, frontal bodyshell integrity was deemed stable. With the pre-facelift version, side airbags were not available as an option.
Results for the facelifted version with the optional airbags were released in 2024, achieving four stars for adult occupant protection. This updated model was equipped with ESC across the range.
On both occasions it received three stars for child occupant protection.
Automobile Association of South Africa (AASA) CEO Bobby Ramagwede told TimesLIVE Motoring he believed the brand could have created efficiencies to justify including side airbags across the line, given the R2,800 pricing.
He urged motorists to make informed buying decisions. The AASA is a partner in the Safer Cars for Africa programme.
“Ultimately, [manufacturers] are beholden to the consumer, if they vote with their wallets. I want to get the consumer to the point where they say, ‘I’m not buying that, I’ll wait for the upgraded version’.”
According to VW’s media relations manager Tebogo Losaba, since the launch of the Polo Vivo facelift in August 2024, side airbag installation rate stands at 30%.
Standardisation of the side airbag is under consideration with the intention to continue to make Polo Vivo’s offering attractive to the customer
— VW’s media relations manager Tebogo Losaba
“Standardisation of the side airbag is under consideration with the intention to continue to make Polo Vivo’s offering attractive to the customer,” he said.
“Effective [from] April 1, Volkswagen has standardised key safety and value features, including rear park distance control, a rear-view camera and a two-year/30,000km service plan from Life derivative upwards.”
We revisited vehicles tested by the programme since 2024 to follow-up on improvements made.
The most recent vehicle tested by Global NCAP was the Chinese-made Chery Tiggo 7 Pro (from R389,900); with four airbags, which received a two-star rating for adult occupant protection and three stars for child occupant protection. Frontal bodyshell integrity was deemed unstable.
The revised Chery Tiggo 7 in basic Prime specification costs R429,900 and is equipped with four airbags, curtain airbags are included on the next grade up, the Executive model, which is R457,900.
“We are in constant communication with HQ regarding this matter,” said Chery SA marketing and communications manager Verene Petersen.
“It’s of great concern to Chery SA and we hope to be able to share the way forward on this model within the next 6-12 months, in the meantime, we plan to introduce models that are safer — case in point being the newly introduced Tiggo 7 Executive model.”
Earlier this year Global NCAP awarded the locally-built Toyota Corolla Cross two stars for adult occupant protection, largely due to the lack of side head impact protection. The car received three stars for child occupant protection. Frontal bodyshell integrity was deemed stable.
Global NCAP tested the version with five airbags (dual front, side and knee); standard fitment in the XI (R420,700) and XS (R458,400) models. Models from the XR grade (R508,200) upwards have an additional two curtain airbags offering head protection.
“As stated previously, the Global NCAP results coincided with an ongoing internal review of standardised curtain shield airbag fitment across the entire Corolla Cross range for the local market,” said corporate communications manager Refilwe Ndhlovu this week.
“Though these reviews entail lengthy processes, the company is prioritising this topic.”
Towards the end of 2025 Hyundai’s India-sourced Grand i10 budget hatchback (from R224,900) scored zero stars for adult occupant protection when tested by the Safer Cars for Africa campaign, equipped with two airbags as standard, without ESC. The score for child occupant protection was three stars. Frontal bodyshell integrity was deemed unstable.
Last week the brand announced that an Executive variant with expanded specification would be joining the range, which will include side and curtain airbags as well as ESC.
When we asked, corporate communications manager Zweli Mnisi said these features would not be applied to the rest of the range. The brand also sells a panel van version costing R249,500.
Nissan’s Indian-made Magnite crossover (passenger model from R252,500) is one vehicle whose scoring progressively improved, with three separate results over 2025.
Initially it scored two stars for adult and child occupant protection — the car tested had two airbags and no ESC. Frontal bodyshell integrity was deemed stable, however.
The next test, with a specification upgrade that saw fitment of ESC, plus side and head airbags, resulted in a four-star rating for adult occupant protection and four stars for child occupant protection.
Thato Maphoto, communications lead for Nissan SA, said the brand voluntarily re-submitted the vehicle for testing as part of an ongoing commitment to safety and product improvement.
In addition to adding extra airbags, the vehicle received a reinforced body structure, the introduction of crash detection sensors, rear seat-belt reminders and the adoption of ESC across the range.
When it was re-tested again the last time it received five stars for adult occupant protection. Interestingly, this model received one less star for child occupant protection (three in total).
According to feedback from Global NCAP, the reason for the fifth star was due to improvement of the safety-belt pretensioners.
The reason for the loss of a star on the child occupant protection rating was due to “different performances and head contacts in both frontal tests”.
While the basic passenger version of the Magnite in Visia trim has six standard airbags, the panel van (R229,900) is equipped with two.
The seven-seater Suzuki Ertiga, manufactured in India by the Japanese brand’s Maruti subsidiary, was tested in 2024 and earned a single star for adult occupant protection and two stars for child occupant protection. The car tested was equipped with two airbags. Frontal bodyshell integrity was noted as unstable.
The brand later upped the airbag count, with a complement of six made standard from the base GA version (R304,900) upward.
The brand disputed the 2024 one-star result achieved by the two-airbag version. “The test was conducted on a variant that differs from the specification currently sold in our market, which impacts the relevance of the rating,” said public relations manager Eileen Gengan.
A press release issued by Suzuki Auto South Africa on August 2 2024 alleged that the Global NCAP report was factually inconsistent and that AASA did not communicate before publication of the report.
Feedback from Global NCAP, as communicated through AASA, maintains that the test result is valid for India and Africa.
The organisation said it contacted the headquarters of the manufacturer, as it does in all cases of testing and that Suzuki was directly involved in reviewing the results, including a pretensioner which underperformed in the test.
“At no point did the original equipment manufacturer challenge the selection of the model valid also for Africa, and in case of trim differences, they are not relevant to the safety performance,” said a statement provided to TimesLIVE.
“Communication must always be (like any other NCAP) with the headquarters of the manufacturer; if the headquarters does not involve the local importer (Suzuki Auto South Africa) it is their internal decision.
“Suzuki Maruti headquarters reacted by improving most of their cars to standard six airbags and ESC in India and even scoring five stars in many of them; we have not heard complaints from Suzuki SA about those models.”
The organisation said the same process, same dummies and same laboratory that was used for the Ertiga was used for the new Dzire, which scored five stars as well as the Victoris (sold as the Across in SA), which also scored five stars. The Dzire and Victoris were tested under Global NCAP’s Safer Cars for India programme.
Another seven-seater tested by Global NCAP Safer Cars for Africa in 2024 was the Renault Triber, a two-star car for adult and child occupant protection. The vehicle tested had two airbags, no ESC and was deemed to have an unstable front bodyshell. The model is imported from India.
It was recently updated, priced from R218,999 for the base Evolution model, but side and curtain airbags are standard from the Techno trim (R233,999) upwards. The panel van version (R249,999) has two airbags.
“Our current offering in terms of safety is aligned with market demand and trends,” said Tlhabanelo Mohlamonyane, Renault SA’s public relations and marketing specialist.
In 2024 the Chinese-made Kia Pegas sedan (from R292,995) underwent crash testing by Global NCAP, receiving two stars for adult occupant safety and four stars for child occupant safety. Frontal bodyshell integrity was deemed unstable.
The vehicle tested had no ESC and was equipped with two airbags. The count has not been increased on any of the Kia Pegas model grades since, nor has ESC been standardised.
Kia SA did not provide comment by the time of publication.
Note: This list is limited to cars that Global NCAP Safer Cars for Africa have crash tested. There remain many passenger vehicles in the market without standard curtain airbags and other essentials, including ESC. Be sure to scrutinise the specification sheets before you buy. Visit the Global NCAP website for the full crash test reports on the vehicles tested in the Safer Cars for Africa programme.
TimesLIVE
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