Nissan NP300 Hardbody Gets Terrifying Zero-Star Crash Rating
The steering column didn't move out of the way and struck the crash test dummy in the chest.
Global NCAP and the Automobile Association South Africa want to improve auto safety in Africa. As part of this campaign, they recently crash tested the South African market's NP300 Hardbody pickup, and the truck received a woeful zero-star rating in the evaluation. Global NCAP predicted adults riding in the truck were at risk for "a high probability of life-threatening injury in a crash."
If the NP300 Hardbody stirs a confusing sense of nostalgia in you, it might be because of the truck's absolutely ancient underpinnings. This pickup arrived as the
Frontier in the United States in 1997, and Nissan launched a replacement in 2004. In other parts of the world, the truck carried the
Navara model name. In South Africa, Nissan introduced later generations of the Navara while also keeping this old vehicle on the road.
The Global NCAP frontal crash test launched the pickup going 64 kilometers per hour (40 miles per hour) into a barrier. The truck's structure collapsed in the collision, and the steering column collided with the driver dummy's chest. The safety agency rated Poor protection to the driver's head, chest, and feet. It also gave passenger safety at Marginal for the chest and left leg, in addition to Weak for the right leg.
"The NP300 Hardbody is ridiculously misnamed as its body shell has collapsed," David Ward, Secretary General of Global NCAP said in the results' announcement. "Nissan also claims the car benefits from a so-called safety shield but this is grossly misleading. Our test shows that the occupant compartment completely fails to absorb the energy of the crash resulting in a high risk of fatality or serious injury."
As part of this round of tests, Global NCAP and the Automobile Association South Africa also tested the Hyundai i20, Kia Picanto, and
Toyota Yaris. All three of them received three-star ratings.
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