Zero Star Tsuru taken out of production

1 November 2016

Story from Global NCAP

Nissan has announced that they will take the Zero Star Tsuru out of production in Mexico next May.

Reacting to the announcement David Ward, Global NCAP Secretary General said:

“This is a long overdue decision to cease production of a car that is fundamentally unsafe. Three years ago our partner Latin NCAP crash tested the car and revealed its Zero Star rating. It has taken Nissan too long to recognise that selling sub-standard cars is unacceptable. At last they have responded to the demands of Latin NCAP and Mexican consumers to withdraw the Tsuru from the market.

Car to Car Crash Test

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), Global NCAP and Latin NCAP hosted a Car to Car crash today at the IIHS headquarters in Virginia, USA.

The test was conducted between the 2016 Nissan Versa, sold in the United States, and the 2015 Nissan Tsuru, sold in Mexico. Both cars are manufactured in Mexico and have been previously tested by the IIHS and Latin NCAP respectively, the Versa obtained a performance of Good (equivalent to 5 Stars) and the Tsuru was rated Zero Stars.

David Ward added, “Our first ever Car to Car test clearly shows the importance of minimum crash test regulations. Mexico doesn’t yet apply them and the US has had them for decades. The lack of standards can result in the sale of unsafe cars like the Nissan Tsuru. Across Latin America all countries should apply UN or equivalent safety standards to all new passenger cars, so that there is no future for Zero Star Cars.”