Latin NCAP, the go-to organization for vehicle safety testing in Latin and South Americas, has put a Honda WR-V and a Volkswagen Nivus through its trial this weekend. The German car performed great, which is more than could be said about the Japanese one.
The tests included, among other things, a head-on collision at 64 km/h (40 miles per hour) with a 40-percent overlap, as well as a couple of sideways impacts – a cart moving at 50 km/h (31 mph) and a stationary pole hit at 29 km/h (18 mph).
In the end, the Honda WR-V earned 41% for adult passenger safety and about the same rating for children’s safety. Pedestrian protection was given a slightly less dismal 59%.
In contrast, the VW Nivus shone in the passenger safety department (92%), but posed a grave risk to pedestrians on the street (49%).
Both vehicles are manufactured in Brazil, but there are significant differences in their equipment levels. For example, the Honda ships with two frontal airbags and no optional ones, while the Volkswagen has six airbags.
