Watch: The safest Africa-tested car for sale in Mzansi aced its crash test!

It’s quite possible that you’ve never come across a ‘Mahindra’ vehicle before – but the name is likely to become a household one in Mzansi soon, thanks to its outstanding protective features. The XUV300 model has been deemed as the ‘safest car on the South African market’, after it came through a crash test with very little damage to report.

Is this South Africa’s ‘safest available car’?

Flinging the motor at a barrier with a speed of 64km/h would be enough to see a whole host of similar vehicles fold like deckchairs. The XUV300 barely flinches however, as it smashes into its intended target. Of course, there is some considerable damage to the front of the vehicle – but the dummies inside emerge from the crash test unscathed.

What is so great about the Mahindra XUV300?

Designed to replicate human bodies, crash test dummies have played a vital role in assessing vehicular safety for decades. However, with minimal injuries to report from this high-speed smash, this Mahindra has earned itself a fairly prestigious title from NCAP researchers: In their eyes, it’s ‘the safest car’ they have ever tested for Africa…

• – The NCAP gave the Mahindra XUV300 a final score of 16.42 out of 17 for the protection of adults.

• – A safety rating of 37.44 out of 49 for the protection of children was also awarded.

• – The XUV300 got a five-star rating for protection. It’s the highest-ranked new vehicle ever tested in #SaferCarsForAfrica.

• – The body shell was rated as stable and as capable of withstanding impacts at even higher speeds.

• – This makes the Mahindra XUV300 the safest car ever tested by the GNCAP – and the safest vehicle for SA families.

Watch: The ‘safest car for sale in SA’ aces its crash test

Crash test results provide positive news

The New Car Assessment Programme is beaming with the XUV300’s ratings, and earlier this year, they trumped-up the safety features of their new model. In particular, the protection it provides for kids is being touted as its greatest strength:

“In the case of the Mahindra XUV300, our scientists highlighted the impressive structural integrity and perfect working of the airbags during their tests. They also acknowledged the Child seat mountings at the rear, which allowed them to safely mount a child seat for the dummy of an 18-month-old baby next to the dummy of a three-year-old child.”

“After the tests, the engineers and scientists noted nearly no significant body deformation on both the front and side-impact. This meant that the occupants were kept safe and that the other active and passive safety equipment, like the airbags and ABS brakes, could work perfectly to keep the occupants safe.”