Another vehicle joins what we call the zero-star safety club, and this time it's from Latin America – the Ford Ka+ small sedan, the four-door counterpart of the model that was sold in Europe.
The rating was from the Latin New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), which gave the sedan a dismal zero-rating despite having two airbags as standard. That last bit was important; the Ka+ was rated with good and adequate protection for adult frontal impact, particularly in the chest, head, and neck areas. Knee protection, however, was given a marginal rating.
Where the Ka+ flunked the most was in the side-impact assessment. While head, abdomen, and pelvis protection reached acceptable standards, Latin NCAP rated its chest protection as weak. Whiplash rear impact was also rated weak due to a poor static score of the seat. Side pole assessment wasn't even performed since the vehicle doesn't come standard with side head protection.
The Ka+'s child protection, on the other hand, was also disappointing, getting only 4.57 points out of the 49 maximum points. As for pedestrian protection, Latin NCAP's report states that "The car does not meet regulation UN 127 for pedestrian protection."
With the zero-rating from Latin NCAP, the Ford Ka+ joins Kia Picanto, Great Wall Steed 5, and Maruti Suzuki S-Presso in the club. The zero-rating is a subject of concern, considering that these budget vehicles are sold in droves, which means more people are using them than pricier ones.
With safety getting compromised, automakers should consider the ratings a wake-up call to improve and update their cars. Lives are at risk, and you can't really just put a price on that.
