Datsun Go Has Epic Crash Test Fail, says NCAP

The Global New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP) conducts crash tests on vehicles that otherwise would not undergo them. In some world markets, such as India, vehicles are not required to go through crash testing. Global NCAP's goal is to press automakers and policy makers in those markets to adopt European-style standards for crash testing. The NCAP uses the United Nation's crash test protocol.

Their latest target? The new Datsun Go, which Nissan is selling in India. The five-door compact is one of the lowest-priced vehicles in Nissan's global lineup and India is one of the first markets for Nissan's revival of the Datsun brand.

In the Global NCAP's crash testing, the Go scored a flat zero across the board. The results were so horrifying that the organization penned a letter to Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn to urge him to adopt more stringent safety measures into the car, which doesn't even include airbags. Not that they would have made a difference, NCAP says.

"The DATSUN GO scored zero stars for adult occupant protection and just two stars for child occupant protection. The Datsun GO’s vehicle structure collapsed in the crash and was rated as unstable. The car’s lack of airbags meant that the driver’s head makes direct contact with the steering wheel and dashboard – the dummy readings indicate a high probability of life-threatening injuries. However the failure of the body shell makes it redundant to fit an airbag," they wrote in a blog post.

The crash test video for the Go is not for the feint of heart.