The Toyota Aygo and its sister cars, the Peugeot 107 and Citroen C1, have performed poorly in the latest round of Euro NCAP crash tests, being awarded just three stars.
Despite the current model being a facelifted version of a car that originally scored four stars upon its release in 2005, Toyota has failed to implement the latest developments in passenger safety.
Worryingly, the Aygo scored three stars only because it was tested with a number of additional items, not currently available, which Toyota has pledged to include on customers cars from July 2013. Without them, the car would have scored significantly worse.
These items include side thorax airbags, side head curtain airbags, electronic stability control, passenger seatbelt reminder and ISOFIX rear outboard seats.
“Our test protocols have evolved significantly over the past few years. We’re seeing that some manufacturers continue to offer popular best sellers without making the necessary incremental updates to safety,” said Dr Michiel Van Ratingen, Euro NCAP secretary general.