Wheels 'Ford Mustang V8 scores ‘poor’ 2-star safety rating'

[uniacidz]

Ford Mustang V8 scores ‘poor’ 2-star safety rating
ANCAP has slammed the V8-powered version of Ford’s affordable sports car for sub-standard safety

https://www.wheelsmag.com.au/news/17...-safety-rating

THE Ford Mustang GT has been labelled unsafe following a dismal two-star independent crash test result that determined occupants could suffer serious injuries in a collision.

In a test conducted in conjunction with Euro NCAP, Australia’s leading independent crash test authority, the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) found the V8-powered, US-made sports car had poor occupant protection for both adults and children due to incorrectly inflating airbags, a sub-standard crash structure that included a door that came open in a side pole test, and a deficiency of crash avoidance technologies that are becoming increasingly common in new cars.
ANCAP chief executive James Goodwin slammed the safety of the V8-powered two-door coupe – the result doesn’t apply to four-cylinder Mustang because it wasn't tested and may perform differently – that has been an unexpected sales hit for Ford.

“This result is simply shocking for such a newly designed and popular model,” Goodwin told Wheels, adding that the Mustang performed “below the expectations of what consumers would expect and, frankly, it’s not as safe as it should be”.



More to read
https://www.wheelsmag.com.au/news/17...-safety-rating


In a carefully worded statement Ford defended its muscle car and repeatedly described the ANCAP result as “disappointing”, suggesting that what it describes as a “rigorous new [testing] protocol” was introduced by ANCAP last year, well after development of the current Mustang had taken place.

The statement also asserted that the ANCAP tests were now “more tailored to family cars and people movers” than sports cars such as the Mustang.


Ford said the Mustang meets all applicable safety standards – many of which are embarrassingly low – and said it was competitive among sports cars, also performing well in overseas crash results, including those conducted by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

“The overall Euro NCAP rating is based on four pillars, with a very strong focus on family car safety characteristics and specific safety assist features, which are usually not part of the standard equipment of cars in the Mustang category,” the Ford statement read.
But Goodwin said the poor result was unacceptable for any car, especially one costing upwards of $45,990.
“I don’t think safety should be compromised, whatever car you’re buying. This is an expensive vehicle, it’s a newly designed vehicle and safety should never be compromised.



ANCAP also stressed the combined Euro NCAP and ANCAP result was not because the vehicle was missing minor “safety assist” systems, which could be as simple as daytime running lights, a fatigue reminder or “hill launch assist”.

“This isn’t a score because it’s missing rear seatbelt reminders,” said Goodwin. “Fundamentally it also hasn’t performed well structurally. There is serious risk of head, leg and chest injuries for rear passengers. There was also insufficient inflation of both driver and passenger airbags in frontal offset test, which allowed the driver’s head to contact the steering wheel and the passenger’s head to contact the dashboard. The driver’s door opened in the pole test and the whiplash protection for rear-end collisions was only rated as marginal.”

The Mustang performed worst in the “Safety Assist” part of the NCAP test, one of four assessed areas, with just 16 percent, or 2 out of 12. Child occupant protection was marginally better but still poor at 32 percent, while adult occupant protection was 72 percent, let down by a score of 4.67 out of 8 in the frontal offset test.

Pedestrian protection was rated at 64 percent, although the official ANCAP report noted the front edge of the bonnet “posed a high injury risk for pedestrians”. The Mustang’s active bonnet is designed to pop up to help protect pedestrians from injuring themselves on hard parts such as the engine or suspension towers.

The Mustang’s two-star rating – which ANCAP described as “concerning” and “poor” - is the worst crash test result for a new model since the Chinese-made LDV V80 van of 2013 achieved a similar two-star rating. The only other passenger cars – as opposed to commercial vehicles – to have scored a two-star ANCAP rating were much older vehicles: the 2006 Chrysler Voyager, 2005 Holden Barina and 1998 Hyundai Sonata.



It’s unlikely the apparent crash structure issues with the Mustang can be addressed as part of a recall or service campaign and Ford appears to have no plans to do so – other than adding some active safety features as part of an update in 2018.
“The Mustang is a safe vehicle, equipped with advanced safety features and a structure designed to manage crash energy under a variety of crash modes,” Ford said.

“The Mustang has already proven its safety performance in NHTSA NCAP and IIHS test programs. We are committed to continued improvement in vehicle safety, and the 2018 Mustang in Australia will be equipped with driver assistance features such as AEB and Lane Keeping Aid.”

But Goodwin called on Ford to make changes on the production line to address the safety concerns raised.
“I’m encouraging Ford to introduce design and production changes to improve the vehicle’s safety performance as quickly as possible,” he said.

Goodwin also warned police forces around the country from considering the Mustang as a pursuit vehicle, suggesting the car was unsafe.

“The car has fallen down in lots of areas of its assessment and we would really expect that emergency services personnel would be in the safest car that they can be in.”

The Mustang, built for the first time in right-hand drive, has been a runaway hit for Ford Australia. The carmaker originally estimated it would sell 1000 of the coupes and convertibles in 2016, and instead it sold more than 6000.