By gaining the top five-star rating for all-round safety performance, new Yaris becomes the third generation of Toyota’s supermini to pass through Euro NCAP independent crash testing with flying colours.
Not only has Yaris met the highest standards for the 2011 test programme, its results were good enough to comply with the higher five-star threshold that will be introduced in 2012.
Its achievement is built on an exceptional heritage, established by the original Yaris in 2000, which was named the safest car in its class by Euro NCAP. The second generation model went on to gain the five-star rating in 2005, and now the new Yaris has the distinction of achieving the highest mark.
The fundamental strength of the car’s structure is at the heart of Yaris’s ability to provide a safe environment for all occupants – adults and children. Impact forces from a front, rear or side collision are dispersed through strategically engineered elements in the body, minimising deformation of the cabin.
For new Yaris, specific measures were taken to improve performance in side impacts, including fitting bulkheads inside the rocker panels that help ensure the efficient transfer of impact loads and reduce the risk of the rockers breaking. More protection is provided by side impact bars fitted in the doors.
New Yaris is equipped as standard with seven airbags, including a driver’s knee airbag. The driver and front passenger side airbags have a new two-chamber design that improves protection with larger cushions – eight litres for the thorax/abdomen area and 4.5 litres for the pelvis.
There are also numerous features designed to reduce the risk of injuries to pedestrians. The front bumper contains energy absorbing materials that reduce the impact energy directed at a pedestrian’s legs, and a pantograph bonnet structure also absorbs energy to protect the head and body in a collision. There is a crushable cowl louvre at the rear edge of the bonnet, and the front wings have an impact absorbing brackets.
New Yaris further benefits from a comprehensive package of active safety systems, including ABS, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, Corner Stability Control, Brake Assist, Traction Control and Vehicle Stability Control.
