[Lasse D]

Euroncap has just released the latest crash test results including jems like Citroën C6 that receives top ratings for pedestrian safety, but the results are mixed because of the new cheap Korean Chevrolet Matiz which only receives 3 out of 5 stars where the last star has a red strike through because of was an unacceptably high risk of lifethreatening injury to the chest in side impact (50km/h offset).

http://www.euroncap.com/images/results/superminis/car_233_2005/Chevrolet Matiz - Datasheet.pdf

It is very rare with todays standards of safety that a new car receives such a low rating. Some city cars like Fiat Panda, Kia Picanto have 3 strs while 4 are the norm.
To put this in a perspective, the new Yaris receives all 5 stars in Euroncap.

 

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Remember it's Korean made (and perhaps designed), its going to take some time before they get up their with the rest.

This is part of GM push to fabricate cars elsewhere.

 

[REN69]

No wonder they go OUT of business instead of making money. :disappoin

 

[ToyotaMan1281]

that piece of shit looks like a tin can, even neons are safter, but not by much...

 

[epinionator89]

Well, just because vehicle's Korean doesn't mean it's unsafe. The Hyundai Sonata and Tucson both got five stars (front) in USA crash tests, according to their commercials. :dunno:

 

[Cyorke]

isnt thta the Chevrolet Aveo here in the US. It sure looks like it.

 

[repinS]

Keep in mind, the euro tests are more stringent than what we've got over here... but it's still inexcusable. :disappoin

 

[Lasse D]

Remember it's Korean made (and perhaps designed), its going to take some time before they get up their with the rest.

This is part of GM push to fabricate cars elsewhere.

But the problem is that it scores worse than the old model!:
http://www.euroncap.com/content/safety_ratings/details.php?id1=1&id2=65

(It also received a 3 stars rating, but at least without life-threatening injuries - The procedure has been updated to a tougher standard, but every other car tested has improved)

GM should have had a lot of possible modern cars to base the Matiz on. Can't GM use it's partnerships with Suzuki (alto and Wagon R), Opel/Vauxhall (Wagon R rebadge), Fiat or even Toyota to get a modern mini it could rebadge for the European marked?

Well, just because vehicle's Korean doesn't mean it's unsafe. The Hyundai Sonata and Tucson both got five stars (front) in USA crash tests, according to their commercials.

I can actually remember Hyundai had some commercials with that. At Euroncap both Hyundai, Kia and Daewoo/Chevrolet still don't have a single top rated car.

isnt thta the Chevrolet Aveo here in the US. It sure looks like it.

Nope. The Matiz is a class smaller than the Aveo.

Keep in mind, the euro tests are more stringent than what we've got over here... but it's still inexcusable.

Don't you have both NHTSA and IIHS? - I think IIHS uses the same standard as Euroncap.

 

[Rapeacivic]

The so called ¨Chevolets¨that are being marketed here in Europe by GM are actually Daewoo´s. GM bought Daewoo and now are trying to sell their cars as Chevy´s :lol:

 

[Lasse D]

And you know what? - It actually works!
The silly badge has firerocketed the Daewoo sales.

The sales argument in the Matiz commercial is "The cheapest car in the country", but the depreciation and maintenance actually makes it more expensive than a Yaris which costs 50000kr ($7500) more!
Unfortunately many people only look at the price tag and end up driving death traps - literally when it comes to the Matiz!

(The annual test was carried out by the consumer magazine: "Penge og Privatøkonomi" (no english translation available). Yaris ranks 4. behind some really cheap city-cars)

 

[Rapeacivic]

^Yeah, I have seen quite a few here in Spain. I think that put should get educated before they buy a car. People only seem to look at the price tag here in Spain:disappoin

 

[HoboJoe]

Wow. I think my uncle's golf cart would score better than that POS.

 

[Cyorke]

Don't you have both NHTSA and IIHS? - I think IIHS uses the same standard as Euroncap.

Yes we have both the NHTSA and IIHS. NHTSA is the government testing body and IIHS is a testing organization run by most of the major insurance companies in the US. IIHS does more real life testing.