ASEAN NCAP: Hyundai i10 Disappoints, Again

When the Hyundai i10 was put through a crash test by ASEAN NCAP in December 2012, it scored a lowly 2 stars. In contrast, the European market i10 tested by Euro NCAP in 2008 scored 4 stars. Even after considering differences in scoring methodologies between the two safety advocate groups, it was clear that Hyundai models sold in Malaysia have a different, cheaper body structure that offers lower levels of occupant protection.

In 2013, Hyundai Malaysia was said to have upgraded the specifications of the i10’s body structure to match those used by European market i10 models, but this was never communicated through any official channels.

In December 2015, ASEAN NCAP had once again tested the Malaysian market Hyundai i10, assembled at Kulim, to verify if there was indeed any changes made to improve the i10’s passive safety.

The audit by ASEAN NCAP revealed that the 2015 model year Hyundai i10 actually performed poorer than before, scoring only 1 star, with an adult occupant protection score of just 4.40 points, out of a maximum of 16 points.

Child occupant protection score however, improved from 48 percent to 79 percent, thanks to the inclusion of ISOFIX and top tether for improved child seat fitment.

We are not sure how is it that a year 2015 i10 can be less safe than a year 2012 model. In terms of ASEAN NCAP’s scoring methodologies, there were some changes made between 2012 and 2015, but these were related to the introduction of a more stringent, mandatory side impact testing (in accordance to UNECE R95 standards) - applicable to cars scoring 3 stars and above, so the changes are not applicable to the 1 star year 2015 i10 model.

Below is the difference in adult occupant protection between the 2012 model (left) and 2015 model (right) Hyundai i10.

ASEAN NCAP Chairman, Prof. Dr. Wong Shaw Voon said, “The main purpose of conducting such test is to check on manufacturing consistency particularly on the safety performance of a vehicle. ASEAN NCAP is disappointed with this test result and we will definitely do more audit tests in the future in order to regularly check manufacturers’ commitment to safety.”

Find more Hyundai models at Carlist.my.