Entry-level cars are popular amongst first-time car owners, and people looking for something simple to get them from A to B.

The problem with budget cars is that the cut in cost can also mean a cut in quality.

Automobile Association (AA) has published a new Entry-Level Vehicle Safety Report (ELVS) assessing the safety features on entry-level cars in South Africa, reports BusinessTech.

The report looked into the safety features on 27 cars that you can buy for under R180 000.

Sad that cars under R18 000 are now dubbed ‘budget’, but that’s a battle for another day:

It said that the report aims to highlight the importance of safety features in new cars, understand how these features can save lives, and encourage new car buyers to consider safety in their decisions, and not only price.

“Price is, unfortunately, a driving factor in people’s decisions to buy vehicles. What we would like to see more of is people considering other elements of the vehicles they intend buying such as safety features, which can mean the difference between life and death,” the AA said.

The 27 vehicles surveyed were judged according to the number of active safety features they have, including anti-lock braking systems, electronic stability control, and passive safety features like airbags.

Here’s how the cars ranked in categories ranging from ‘poor safety’ to ‘acceptable safety’:

Poor Safety: (Score ≤ 20)

• Datsun GO+ 1.2 Lux
• Nissan NP200
• JMC 4×2 Boarding
• Kia Picanto 1,0 Start

Moderate Safety: (Score 20-50)

• Suzuki Celerio 1,0 GA
• Datsun GOMid
• BAIC D20 hatch 1,3 Comfort
• Datsun GO+ Mid
• Datsun GO+ Panel Van
• Kia Picanto 1,0 Street
• Suzuki Swift hatch 1.2 GA
• Suzuki Swift DZire sedan 1.2 GA
• Mahindra KUV100 1,2 NXT K4+
• Honda Brio hatch 1,2 Trend
• Hyundai i10 Grand 1,0 Motion
• Renault Kwid 1,0 Expression 5 dr
• Kia Picanto MT 1,0 Style
• GWM M4
• Nissan Micra Active 1,2 Visia+
• Haval 1

Acceptable Safety: (Score > 50)

• Volkswagen Take up!
• Renault Sandero 66kw turbo expression
• Toyota Aygo 1,0
• Smart ForTwo
• Toyota Etios Hatch 1,5 Xi HB
• Honda Amaze 1,2 Trend
• Suzuki Ignis 1,2 GL

These results show that, on the plus side, more brands are moving towards more safety features in cars. On the other hand, there is a need for these safety features to become standard in cars rather than optional.

You can check out the full list of cars and their individual scores here.

[source:businesstech]