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Toyota is disputing the test methods of safety organisation Euro NCAP after the Urban Cruiser was given a disappointing three-star rating.

The Toyota Urban Cruiser was particularly criticised by Euro NCAP for its Adult Occupant Protection capabilities, for which it scored just 58 per cent.

See Toyota Urban Cruiser crash test pictures

Dr Michiel van Ratingen, Euro NCAP's secreta...Read the full article

how the mighty Jap has fallen. 6 million + units safety recalled due to floormats/sticking throttle pedals, rusting Tundra pickup trucks, various other litigations and class action suits in the United States on faullty/dangerous products and now this piece of excrement. what happened to 'the machine that changed the world(1989)', prohesied by thee 'top' management gurus of the time to sweep the world. they should go back to making basic weaving machines; building complicated, high-quality consumer products seems way beyond them.

Chevrolet Spark - more GM Daewoo garbage.

 I'd be surprised too if I was Toyota, but I wouldn't draw attention to the result unless I was pretty sure I was right. So it will be interesting to see what happens.

 It's worrying when small cars, already vulnerable simply because of their size, get poor results. The recent US tests showed that small cars with good NCAP scores perform badly when crashing into even medium sized cars. You need a five-star small car to give you even moderate protection against something the size of a Ford Mondeo.

-the Toyota production system "lean" as a total system including design does have massive flaws; i have known that for years and you are quite right it was only a matter of time before it caught Toyota up; i have said for years Toyota will start having issues and they will (with doubt); Toyota are going to implode as BM will and is undergoing massive change and BM will have issues (I think BM will merge with someone)

-the book "the machine that changed the world" is a very good book and from your comments I am not sure you have read it all; its a fantastic book and as dar as I know the teachings of hte book were ones of action and comparison and differentials; what is done differently, how do you get better; if you read the book in context of the market and look at what its actually saying; take the book in sections.

-Toyota and Japan are going through massive cultural changes, you start getting all sorts of things, go have a look at "Hoshin Kanri"; Japan and Toyota are going through massive changes and the bigger the organisation the more the effect; its going to be really interesting the next five to six years re. Toyota.

-you got to think now that the book MCW must be what 20 years old (it must be at least 15) and it shows just what a massive set of advancements other manufacturers have made and some assumptions etc; if you look at the context of the book and plug it into todays market; but this would take a long time to explain.

-the chevy spark is only a very small city car and four stars does not mean it would not get five stars in crash tests as I think now the Encap people are placing in pedestrian safety where it might not have scored well; i think the smart car only got 3 stars, Subaru Impreza got 4 stars and the c1 got 4 stars; also they may retest the spark to get it higher

-you will also notice the Cruze got 5 stars

Maybe Euro N Cap have a special test for ugly cars that is far stricter than normal so that it can help us not to buy them!!  But the BMW x1 got 5 stars I hear you cry.

When will the mighty Toyota offer some guenuinely class leading product?  All cars are reliable enough these days so whats the selling point now.

CapsLock:

you will also notice the Cruze got 5 stars

yes, so did the new Astra(highest overall score of the batch tested - 81), both on the same Delta II platform of course. the Chevy Spark was marked down for no ESP and poor child protection:

Crashtest-Ergebnisse November 2009 im Detail

the new BMW X1 had the best pedestrian protection.

MattDB:

All cars are reliable enough these days

 

Who told you that ?

"When will the mighty Toyota offer some guenuinely class leading product? "

 

Prius?

 iQ?

Hilux?

 

- actually the Chevy Spark got really good marks for child protection, its main areas of concern were pedestrian safety and lack of ESP (the latter is as you said); if it had ESP it would have five stars.

-IQ - class leading, is that the same class that says its got "4 proper seats" and "can seat four adults"!!?? iQ i do not think is class leading - i would put it at the bottom.

-Prius, that is not class leading either, is not the Honda something something similar for like loads less money, now that is class leading; Prius technology is wrong in that size of car anyway.

-Hilux, the Ford Ranger beats the Hilux, the Hilux has not been anything for years and then what about Mits and Navara?

 

Scott B:

Prius?

 iQ?

Hilux?

 

I may accept Prius as a genuine car.

But Hilux ?

Rather a truck than a car, with very poor interior....for example, the ventilation control looks worse than in a Dacia or Lada.

Euro 4 diesel engines and many others.

Same thing for IQ, is unacceptable for a "car" launched in A.D. 2009 wiht all the engines rated as Euro4.

A genuine car is more or less a car with very few weaknesses.

Practical is not genuine.

 

 

Scott B:

Prius?

 iQ?

Hilux?

 Why, what's wrong with the Auris, Avensis and Yaris?

 

 the ventilation system is surely bad. had a look in one of my friends vehicle. however currently got myself a chevy malibu and is working great.