ASEAN NCAP, the organization which assesses new models in the market (especially those made and sold in ASEAN), has released its report after testing the new Perodua Axia. The hatchback is the second generation of the Axia and will be officially launched on February 14. ASEAN NCAP was provided a unit for their assessment which included a crash test and after analyzing the results, the Axia received 4 stars (out of the maximum of 5 stars).
The first generation of the Axia tested by ASEAN NCAP in 2014 also received 4 stars then. According to Perodua engineers, the new Axia, with its new structure and increased safety features, should be able to score 5 stars if the same protocols are used as for model tested in 2014.
However, in 2023, the bar has been raised with new protocols that are more demanding. ASEAN NCAP periodically upgrades its assessment protocols, which the industry is informed of, and this serves to advance the safety standards that the industry should provide.
Toyotaโs ultimate goal is to reduce fatalities from traffic accidents to zero, and to realize this, the company has been developing its vehicles with safer systems to help drivers avoid accidents and also to protect the occupants if an accident does occur. This has been ongoing for decades, and numerous advances in automotive safety have been developed to make vehicles in the Toyota Group as safe as possible โ even to other road-users.
4 awards to Toyota
The efforts have been recognised by ASEAN NCAP – the New Car Assessment Program for Southeast Asian Countries โ which has evaluated many new vehicles from the safety point of view. At its 10th anniversary celebration, the Toyota Brand received 4 awards including two for โTHE MOST 5-STAR CARS 2012-2020โ. The other awards were for โBEST ADULT OCCUPANT PROTECTION 2017-2020โ (for the C-HR crossover), โBEST SAFETY ASSIST 2019โ (for the Majesty and Granvia). The awards were among those presented by ASEAN NCAP under the โDecade of Safer Vehicle Awardsโ.
The awards were given to Toyota Daihatsu Engineering & Manufacturing (TDEM), which is Toyotaโs regional headquarters for engineering and manufacturing functions for Southeast and South Asia. TDEM was originally established in 2003 as the Toyota Technical Centre Asia Pacific and was then integrated with Toyota Motor Asia Pacific Engineering & Manufacturing Co., Ltd. in 2007. From April 2017, the company was renamed Toyota Daihatsu Engineering & Manufacturing Co., Ltd. And based in Thailand (separate from Toyota Thailand).
Toyota has received the most 5-star ratings over the past 10 years, with the maximum rating even given to models like the Hilux pick-up truck.
โToyota has a long history in Asia, wherein we have been recognized by our customers as the foremost brand for QDR – Quality, Reliability and Durability – and safety. We started production activities in countries such as Thailand and Malaysia as early as the 1960s and over the last 6 decades, we have strived to develop the best products not only to suit our ASEAN customersโ needs, but also to improve and adopt safety technologies as part of our fundamental responsibility as a mobility company, prioritizing the improvement of road and traffic safety in this region,โ said ย Prasanna Ganesh, Executive Vice-President of TDEM. โWe are very honoured and humbled to be recognized across various categories on the occasion of ASEAN NCAPโs 10th Anniversary, and are committed to make our products and technologies โever better and ever saferโ when compared to the past.โ
Focus on ASEAN models
ASEAN NCAP is the ninth new car assessment program in the world that performs independent assessment on the safety performance of new passenger car models released in the market. Its main objective is to promote and enhance vehicle safety standards and rating system in the ASEAN region.
ASEAN NCAP has its own crash test facility in Melaka and has tested some 110 models and variants over a period of 10 years. Additionally, it also collaborates with safety organisations in some other Asian countries to test certain models.
The safety assessment initially began with test phases in which the first phase of the assessment, comprising 8 models, was funded by Global NCAP. After 10 years, the organisation has tested some 110 models and variants and has produced 137 ratings. During this period, ASEAN NCAP has also developed three roadmaps (for the periods 2012 – 2016, 2017 – 2020 and 2021 – 2025) to provide the industry with guidance for development of vehicle safety systems.
In 2012, the Honda City was the first car tested by ASEAN NCAP at its crash-test facility.
Under the current roadmap for 2021 – 2025, there are 4 assessment domains comprising Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection, Safety Assist and Motorcyclist Safety. This roadmap marks a significant milestone for ASEAN NCAP in which there was the development of an assessment pillar that ensures the assessed vehicle avoids collision with vulnerable road-users, particularly motorcyclists.
Helping make cars safer
โWhen we first began our work in 2011, there were not many people who had such high confidence in us. We heard people say that we will only last for 3 months. Because of this assumption, we were determined to go against all odds to prove them wrong. I was blessed with a group of dedicated young people who were eager to learn about crash testing and, of course, their perseverance towards road safety research, which was a fairly new area at the time. Now Iโm proud to see all our hard work have resulted in astounding achievements and we are making significant impact to the automotive industry with consumers safety is being placed huge importance in vehicle development,โ said MIROS Director-General who is also ASEAN NCAP Secretary-General and Acting Chairman, Hon. Assistant Commissioner (CD) Adjunct Prof. Ir. Ts. Dr. Khairil Anwar Abu Kassim.
With a large number of accidents involving motorcyclists, ASEAN NCAP’s roadmap has given greater attention to protecting this group of road-users.
โThe โDecade of Safer of Vehicle Awardโ is our way of giving credit where it is due and also provide recognition to manufacturers who have consistently adhering to our protocol to ensure that their vehicles obtained 5-Star ratings. My wish is that the Award serves as a catalyst to encourage other manufacturers to continuously research and improve their respective vehicles by putting safety first in the development of the cars,โ he added.
Vaccination does not make you immune to COVID-19 infection. You can still get infected and although you may not show symptoms, you could spread the coronavirus to others. Do not stop taking protective measures such as wearing a facemask, washing hands frequently and social distancing.
Honda sets high standards of safety for all its models, and any new model that arrives in the market can usually score maximum or almost maximum points in assessments by various organisations. The latest generation of the Honda Civic is no exception and whatโs more impressive is that it is the first Honda model to be assessed under the new ASEAN NCAP 2021-2025 protocol.
Under the new protocols formulated by the New Car Assessment Program for Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN NCAP), the Civic was rated the full 5 stars with an overall score of 83.47 points. For each category of assessment, the following: 36.59 points out of 40.00 for Adult Occupant Protection (AOP), 18.32 points out of 20.00 for Child Occupant Protection (COP) category, 18.16 points out of 20.00 for Safety Assist Technologies (SAT), and 10.39 points for Motorcyclist Safety (MS) category.
Specifically, for the ASEAN NCAP 2021-2025 assessment protocol, Honda has taken a step upwards by equipping the Civic with a new AEB (Automatic Emergency Braking) technology for Motorcycles as standard fitment in all its variants. This new technology is able to detect the presence of motorcycle that is located in front of the car and perform automatic emergency braking in the event the driver is unaware of the motorcyclist.
With the larger number of motorcycles on roads in ASEAN and a high rate of accidents involving motorcyclists, Honda has improved its detection system to recognise motorcycles and perform automatic emergency braking if necessary.
Commending Honda for developing the AEB for Motorcycles, MIROS Director-General who is also ASEAN NCAP Secretary-General and Acting Chairman, Hon. Assistant Commissioner (CD) Adjunct Prof. Ir. Ts. Dr. Khairil Anwar Abu Kassim said: โThis is a significant milestone for vehicle safety as we are targeting to reduce the number of fatalities involving motorcyclists. As such, we are proud that vehicle manufacturers are devoting their energy in the next level of vehicle safety. With the launch of the Global Plan for the Second Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021โ2030, we hope this will be a catalyst for more vehicle manufacturers to follow this footstep to ensure we meet the desired target.โ
โDespite the pandemic situation, car manufacturers have strived to ensure the new vehicles that they are producing meet the needed safety requirements under the new ASEAN NCAP 2021-2025 protocol. I am pleased that another of Hondaโs models has achieved another 5-Star rating, despite the stringent requirement the new protocol has set,โ he said when commenting on the results.
He added: โThe current COVID-19 pandemic situation has pushed us to be more innovative in our work, and ASEAN NCAP is no exception. We had to fully utilize whatever communication applications currently are available. Due to travelling restrictions, ASEAN NCAP performed an assessment on the new Honda Civic via video conference call.โ
11th generation Honda Civic is on sale in Thailand and progressively being introduced in other ASEAN markets.
Even with the previous generation, the Civic already had a very high standard of active and passive safety, including the integrated Honda SENSING system. Its AEB systems cover City, Inter-Urban, Pedestrian, Bicycle, and Motorcycle situations, complementing ), Child Presence Detection (CPD) and Pedestrian Protection technology. The model comes with 6 or 4 airbags, depending on the market. There is also a Seatbelt Reminder System for front and rear occupants, and Blind Spot Visualization (BSV) on the passenger side.
The new Civic, which is the 11th generation of the model, has been launched in Thailand and is progressively being launched in other regional markets. It is likely to be launched in Malaysia in 2022 although Honda Malaysia might start giving the public a preview before the end of this year.
Perodua has always been in a challenging position as an entry-level carmaker in Malaysia. Although its models are priced at the lowest levels in the market, it has had to also provide features that are expected by Malaysian consumers, regardless of how cheap the car may be. Where, in other markets, an entry-level model can have minimum features โ and customers accept it โ Malaysians are often not happy if, say, there are no power windows.
Thus, the challenge for Perodua has been to keep its production costs as low as possible so that it can still provide all the โmust-haveโ features in its models. Being affiliated with Daihatsu Motor (which is part of the Toyota Group) has made it easier as there is a lot of sharing of technology and components, so economies of scale push costs down.
Higher safety standards with ASA 3.0
Apart from its services being a much higher standard than would normally be expected of a brand in the entry-level segment, Perodua has also been pushing ahead in the area of safety. With the third generation of the Myvi, Perodua introduced its Advanced Safety Assistance (ASA) system with, among other active safety features, Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB). Unlike ABS, this is something that is not common in all cars yet but Perodua customers have it.
With the new Ativa, the company has raised its safety standards further with ASA 3.0 which has even better capability. ASEAN NCAP, the independent safety assessment organisation, has also tested the Ativa at its own facility in Melaka. It released a statement that commends the company for making โa remarkable performance by achieving 5-Star ASEAN NCAP rating with a total score of 83.40 pointsโ.
New, tougher protocol
The Ativa is the first model ASEAN NCAP has assessed under its new and tougher 2021-2025 protocol. In this first assessment using the new assessment protocol, the Ativa obtained 37.48 points over 40.00 points for the Adult Occupant Protection (AOP) category, 17.36 points over 20.00 for the Child Occupant Protection (COP) category, 18.57 points over 20.00 for Safety Assist Technologies (SAT) category, and 10.00 points over 20.00 for the Motorcyclist Safety (MS) assessment category.
Detection capability of the third generation of the Perodua Advanced Safety Assist (ASA) system works at higher speeds – up to 120 km/h for vehicles; up to 60 km/h for pedestrians); and it can now detect 2-wheeled vehicles as well as function at night.
Many standard safety systems
ASEAN NCAP noted that the new compact SUV offers as standard fitment on all its variants items such as SRS airbags(6 in total), Electronic Stability Control, ABS, Seatbelt Reminder System for both front and rear occupants, Autonomous Emergency Braking City, AEB Inter-Urban and AEB Pedestrian.
In addition to these technologies, other advanced safety assist technologies are also available either as standard or optional fitment (depending on the variant). These are Lane Departure Warning System, Forward Collision Warning System, and Lane Keep Assist (LKA). These are systems which you would find in more expensive high-end models nowadays but the Ativa is priced no more than RM72,000 (excluding insurance).
The model has successfully met the items requirement under the new MS assessment pillar in which it offers Blind Spot Detection and Auto High Beam as optional equipment and a Pedestrian Protection technology or vulnerable road-user as standard fitment.
โWe would like to congratulate Perodua Ativa for being the first car model to be assessed under the new ASEAN NCAP 2021-2025 protocol. As the motorization industry advanced, ASEAN NCAP has ensured the new protocol will enhance the safety performance of the vehicles in the ASEAN region,โ said MIROS Director-General who is also ASEAN NCAP Secretary-General and Acting Chairman, Adjunct Prof. Ir. Ts. Dr. Khairil Anwar Abu Kassim.
โWith this protocol, we are not only protecting the safety of the vehicle occupants but also taking into consideration the safety of other vulnerable road- users especially motorcyclists as statistics showed a high number of fatalities amongst this group of road-users in the South East Asian region,โ he said.
โThus, we are proud our own local manufacturer has stepped up to the challenge and true to their words, they have successfully claimed the 5-Star rating under this newly stringent protocol. We hope the achievement by Perodua Ativa will be an example for other new vehicle manufacturers to follow in their development process of producing safer cars for the ASEAN road users,โ he added.
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With restrictions in many countries due to the COVID-19 pandemic, event organisers have found it difficult to have the usual live events since there are social distancing requirements and invited guests may have concerns about being in a crowded environment. Nevertheless, the pandemic should not be allowed to impact our lives so greatly that annual events cannot be held at all, and the solution has been to have them online.
Many companies have been doing this and so has ASEAN NCAP for its 4th Grand Prix Awards announcement. ASEAN NCAP is the New Car Assessment Programme for Southeast Asian Countries, a regional organisation affiliated to Global NCAP which was initiated and established by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) in response to the UNโs Decade of Action for Road Safety.
In 2012, the City was among the very first cars tested by ASEAN NCAP at its crash-test facility in Melaka.
Aerial view of ASEAN NCAP’s facility in Melaka, one of the sites where crash tests are conducted.
The ASEAN NCAP Grand Prix Awards event recognizes and commemorates high achievers in car safety in the ASEAN region. The event was first held in 2014 in Sarawak, followed by the second in 2016 in Kuala Lumpur, and the third was held in Indonesia in 2018.
Two main awards
The 4th edition was initially planned in 2020 but due to COVID-19 pandemic, it had to be postponed to February 2021. There are two main awards ย given out – the Excellent Award and the Best Safety Performance Award โ which have a number of categories each.
Under the Excellent Award, 12 winners were identified in which the award criteria were for the company/vehicle/organization/individual that contributed towards the improvement of vehicle safety in the ASEAN market.
Toyota Corolla Altis – one of the models which contributed to the carmaker receiving the most 5-star awards since 2019.
Latest Isuzu D-MAX recognised for Continuous Safety Improvement.
As for the Best Safety Performance Award, there were 4 categories and selection was based on the highest scoring points during the 2019-2020 assessments.
Top scores in occupant protection made the Honda Accord stand out for safety performance.
Commenting on the awards, ASEAN NCAP Secretary-General and Acting Chairman, Adjunct Prof. Ir. Ts. Dr. Khairil Anwar Abu Kassim (also MIROS Director-General) said: โOver the years, we saw great efforts have been put forward by vehicle manufacturers to ensure their vehicles are offered with the best safety features for the road-users. As such, the awards will provide them with a competitive edge against other models that do not offer such safety technologies albeit better passive safety technologies or advanced safety assist.โ
Recognition for individuals and organizations
โFurthermore, as ASEAN NCAP has been in existence for 10 years now, we would like to recognize not only vehicle models but also organizations or individuals who have worked hand-in-hand with ASEAN NCAP and continuously strived to ensure the significance of vehicle safety. I look forward to work together with these important individuals and organizations as well future vehicle models under the new ASEAN NCAP assessment protocol for 2021-2025,โ he added.
To know more about ASEAN NCAP and read the reports of the various models it has assessed, visit www.aseancap.org.
Car-buyers all over the world are always concerned about the safety standards of the car they are interested in getting. After all, they will be using it daily and while no one wants to have an accident, it can happen unexpectedly and when it does, thatโs when the protective systems and engineering become vital in minimising injuries.
Today, buyers can be better informed about how safe a model is, thanks to the New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP) which started in the European car industry 24 years ago. The program, conducted by the independent Euro NCAP organisation, involved crash tests and other assessments of new vehicles which were analysed and star ratings would be awarded, depending on the performance in the tests.
NCAP for ASEAN region
Since then, as awareness grew in other parts of the world, including Malaysia, regional NCAPs were established. This was an important move as there would be some models which might be sold or developed for specific regions. In ASEAN, the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS), an agency under the Transport Ministry, was instrumental in starting a NCAP for the region. The ASEAN NCAP is recognised and part of the Global NCAP organisation which shares information and discusses matters relating to motor vehicle safety standards.
Zanita Zaunuddin, Head of the Safety and Intelligent Drive team at Proton which engineered the X50 to score 5 stars.
While consumers have come to know about ASEAN NCAP ratings as they are publicised in articles as well as advertisements, the ratings are not mandatory for Type Approval of a vehicle to be permitted for sale in Malaysia. Nevertheless, because NCAP ratings are easy to understand and provide consumers with useful information on how safe a model is, manufacturers strive to achieve the best results and get a 5-star rating, the maximum currently awarded.
Adapted from Geely Binyue
For this reason, when the Proton X50 began development, its performance in the ASEAN NCAP was targeted to be no less than 5 stars. The X50, being adapted from Geelyโs Binyue SUV model, already had sound engineering but it was not as straightforward as simply changing the badge and making styling changes here and there. To become a Proton model required a new engineering programme which included meeting the highest ASEAN NCAP standards.
The task fell to the Safety and Intelligent Drive team at Proton, headed by Zanita Zainuddin. To ensure a 5-star rating, crucial, yet subtle changes had to be made, involving performance tuning, material replacement and parts repositioning. One crucial change made was on the bodyshell of the X50. In initial frontal collision tests during development, the front floorboard often experienced tearing, certainly unacceptable by any standard. To overcome this, the engineers had to reinforce the area with ultra-high-strength steel, thereby shifting the force of impact to other areas that do not present any threat to occupant safety. Overall, 40% of the body, including the front, side and back, was made using a combination of high-strength steel variants.
It’s not a straightforward matter to convert from the lefthand drive Geely Binyue (above) to the righthand drive Proton X50 (below).
Another change was on the driverโs footrest, next to the accelerator and brake pedals. It was not a simple matter converting from the lefthand drive of the Binyue to the righthand drive for the X50. In fact, Geely had not developed a righthand drive variant so Proton would have to re-engineer certain areas for the conversion.
The engine is always placed under the bonnet towards the right side of the vehicle, regardless of the driving side. Therefore, during a collision, the driver of a righthand-drive Proton X50 would be more vulnerable to foot injury as compared to the driver of a lefthand drive Geely Binyue. To safeguard the driverโs resting foot from such harm, the footrest for the X50 had to be modified to ensure that the foot remains on the footrest by reducing slippage.
Improving for ASEAN NCAP from C-NCAP
Being a model primarily for the China market, the Binyue was developed to meet the requirements of C-NCAP, which is the NCAP for that country. Although there are common criteria among all the NCAPs, there are also some differences with ASEAN NCAP.
One example is the curtain airbags. ASEAN NCAP emphasizes that the static deployment of curtain airbags covers a range of body types for the different people that may be in the vehicle. Therefore, the curtain airbags for the X50 had to be adjusted to provide additional cushioning to the head area during impact, primarily during side collisions. Since this greatly improves occupantsโ safety, it was highly recommended that the additional provision be incorporated in future Geely models.
Child Occupant Protection
C-NAP is also less focussed on the issue of compatible seats for child occupants, which is an important area in ASEAN NCAP referred to as Child Occupant Protection (COP) and contributory to the overall assessment. Zanitaโs team made a changes which included lengthening the hook on the ISOFIX attachment point for compatible childseats. This not only made it easier to install the seat but also to readjust its angle to ensure secure positioning. The work done by Proton in such areas has been shared with Geely and will help it to be ready for such requirements if introduced by C-NAP in 2021.
Results of ASEAN NCAP’s assessment of Child Occupant Protection for the X50.
Benefits of beingย in the Geely Group
Geely and Proton have both benefited from each brand being subjected to different safety and market standards. The best practices are being gathered and shared, ultimately benefitting consumers who get to enjoy not only a comfortable ride but also a very safe one. Additionally, having Volvo โ widely acknowledged as the world leader in automotive safety โ as part of the group means being able to get assistance in advancing safety technologies.
โProton has always emphasized safety as one of its unique selling points, unbiased to any country or platform. It is not surprising then that we continue to challenge ourselves so that this DNA is inherent throughout our range of models, be it our locally produced car or the current joint development with our partner Geely,โ said Zanita.
Safety is an important factor that car-buyers consider when shopping today. There is an expectation that occupants will be well protected in the event of an accident and avoid serious injuries. At the same time, with advanced technologies, electronic systems can help a driver avoid an accident.
Organisations such as Euro NCAP and ASEAN NCAP regularly evaluate new models in the market, going to the extent of crashing and ramming them to simulate accidents. Their findings provide car-buyers with independent assessments to make more informed decisions when choosing their next car.
Renault Captur crash test by Euro NCAP.
Core competence since 1920s
For Renault, the subject of safety has been a core competence for a very long time. In fact, as far back as 100 years ago, the company already installed active safety systems in its cars which today are commonplace. In 1922, for example, the company was one of the first manufacturers in the world to equip its 6-cylinder models โ the 18 CV and 40 CV – with additional front wheel brakes. At that time, braking was typically at the rear wheels. In addition, Renault offered a patented brake booster for the powerful 40 CV with 9.1-litre engine.
Renault 40 CV (left) and Juvaquatre
From 1937 onwards, the introduction of independent wheel suspension in place of the rigid axle also brought a significant increase in safety reserves. That same year, the Juvaquatre compact car was the first Renault model to have the modern chassis design on the front axle.
The Juvaquatre, produced between 1937 and 1960, was also the first Renault model with a self-supporting body. It was lighter than the frame construction that was dominant at the time and offered higher impact safety. Some of the principles of its construction would be followed in later years in all car bodies.
Accident research
As far back as 1954, Renault was already studying the effects of vehicle accidents in order to make safer cars. This was done at a centre for accident research located in the Paris area. It became the place where every new Renault model would be thoroughly tested, including crash-testing, heralding the era of modern, systematic safety and accident research.
A crash test in the 1950s
Back then, the crash tests were quite โbasicโ and compared to today’s high-tech tests, the procedures would even be considered โarchaicโ. The Renault researchers simply sent cars crashing into trucks and then examined the outcome on different areas of the car. There were no sensor-equipped crash test dummies back then so a lot relied on visual examination and analysis.
Destroying a car was also significantly more expensive than it is today. This is why, in the 5 years between 1955 and 1960, Renault only crashed around 100 vehicles. In comparison, the company conducts up to 400 crash tests a year today and 10 times more in computer simulations.
Another facility that Renault established in the 1950s was the Laboratory for Physiology and Biomechanics. This institution was under the direction of a physician and its role was to support the development departments in designing safer and more comfortable vehicles.
Today, Renault conducts up to 400 crash tests a year and 10 times more using computer simulations.
In 1969, the laboratoryโs name was changed to reflect its expanded function – the Laboratory for Accident Research, Biomechanics and Studies of Human Behaviour. Its task was to investigate real-world accidents with scientific methods and use the findings to further improve safety standards in Renault vehicles.
Safety vehicle prototypes
Renault’s basic research in the field of passive safety culminated in 1974 in the BRV (Basic Research Vehicle) prototype. In addition to a crash-optimized structure with an energy-absorbing crumple zone at the front and a fixed safety cell for the passengers, the vehicle had 3-point seatbelts for all seats, ย including the rear. The inclusion of seatbelts was significant because at that time, seatbelts were compulsory only in France and only outside of towns.
Theย BRV (left) and EPURE safety vehicles
In 1979, the EPURE concept vehicle took up the body concept of the BRV, supplemented by reinforced side members and padding in the doors as protection in the event of a side impact. For the first time, there were also precautions for pedestrian protection and gas generators that would tighten the seatbelts in the event of a crash. This was the birth of the pyrotechnic belt-tensioner, which Renault introduced in 1993 and was one of the first carmakers to do so.
Automotive safety will continue to be a central part of all product development at Renault. Drawing on multiple resources, it constantly develops new technologies, some of which are pioneering, that raise levels of occupant protection. Today, the brand has one of the safest model ranges in Europe, with vehicles across all classes – from the compact Captur to the Koleos – able to score the maximum of 5 stars in Euro NCAPโs evaluations.
The New Car Assessment Program for Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN NCAP) assessment protocol for 2021-2025, introduced in Indonesia last year, has four pillars of assessment. These are Adult Occupant Protection (AOP), Child Occupant Protection (COP), Safety Assist (SA) and Motorcyclist Safety (MS).
Under the SA domain, ASEAN NCAP will be assessing the effectiveness of Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) systems installed in vehicles. This new development mirrors the progression in assessment procedures and aspects that older organizations such as Euro NCAP.
What is AEB?
AEB is a braking system that is applied automatically by the vehicle in response to the detection of a likely collision in order to reduce the vehicle speed and potentially avoid such collision, or reduce the effects of the impact. Detection is by camera and radar and over the years, the ability to recognise different forms has improved, increasing its effectiveness.
The S80 was the first Volvo model to have AEB in 2007 and it was demonstrated using this procedure (above). In 2011, the S60 was the first model sold in Malaysia with AEB (below).
Available in Malaysia since 2011
The system began appearing in models from Mercedes-Benz, Toyota and Volvo in the early 2000s and thereafter began to spread throughout the industry. Initially, due to the cost of AEB, it was offered on high-end models but eventually, as costs came down, lower-priced models like the Ford Focus began to have it. Today, even cars like the Perodua Myvi have AEB. The first car with AEB in Malaysia was the Volvo S60 launched in 2011.
ASEAN NCAP will be assessing two types of AEB systems under the upcoming protocol – AEB City and AEB Inter-Urban. With the new protocol set to commence this coming January 2021, ASEAN NCAP is preparing to strengthen its capacity and capability in the area of testing the effectiveness of AEB systems. This is a significant milestone in ASEAN NCAP assessment as currently (under the 2017-2020 protocol), the assessed vehicle only receives points based on the availability of the system inside the vehicle.
How AEB works: Cameras and radar scan the road ahead and if a vehicle is detected, the system will warn the driver. If the driver does not act in time by braking or slowing down, the brakes will be activated automatically.
The assessments will cover the following:
Effectiveness of AEB City system in a car-to-car rear stationary scenario by driving the vehicle forward at a speed of 10 โ 60 km/h towards another stationary vehicle.
Effectiveness of AEB Inter-Urban system in a car-to-car rear moving scenario by driving the vehicle forward at a speed of 30 โ 60 km/h towards another vehicle that is travelling at constant speed.
Development testing
Recently, the organization conducted AEB development testing over two days at Bandar Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur where there is a discussed runway as it was formerly an airbase for the TUDM. This follows the first development test held in 2018 in which ASEAN NCAP tested the effectiveness of blind spot technology fitted in vehicles in order to detect the presence of motorcyclists riding at the blind spot zone of a moving vehicle.
Cameras at the top of the windscreen scan the road ahead to detect other vehicles.
โI am proud that ASEAN NCAP with the support from MIROS has successfully organized this development test in our effort to enhance our capacity and capability in AEB testing. This is part of our preparation to conduct such assessment for the new 2021-2025 protocol,โ said Adjunct Prof. Ir. Dr. Khairil Anwar Abu Kassim, the new Director-General of MIROS (Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research). He is alsoย Secretary-General and Acting Chairman ofย ASEAN NCAP.
โAs other technologies such as AEB becomes more mature, it is timely that we perform the actual physical assessment of the system and elevate our current assessment from just rewarding points on its availability in the vehicle,โ he added.
โAs the new MIROS D-G, I would like to thank the manufacturers who are involved in providing their vehicles for this development test. We are grateful for their support and willingness to participate in this test to ensure that the systems equipped in their vehicles are at the best performance. Their commitment in safety is commendable and we hope other manufacturers will follow suit in the near future. With the requirement on the effectiveness of AEB fitment under the new ASEAN NCAP protocol, we are making safety a priority, not a luxury,โ Adjunct Prof. Ir. Dr. Khairil Anwar stressed.
ASEAN NCAP – the New Car Assessment Program for Southeast Asian Countries – is taking precautionary measures in support of efforts to break the spread of the virus and minimising effects on the community. Understanding that due to current restrictions and the possibility that ASEAN NCAP Inspectors may not be allowed to travel to conduct crash test assessment, the organisation has come up with some solutions. This is in view of crash tests and assessments that have been scheduled to take place.
For new vehicles with kerb weights of 1,400 kgs and below, it is advisable for the test to be conducted at MIROS Provisional CRASE Crash Centre (PC3) laboratory in Melaka, Malaysia. Tests that are conducted at MIROS PC3 will be witnessed by ASEAN NCAP Inspectors.
For new vehicles with kerb weight of 1,400 kgs and heavier, the test may be performed at other facilities that serve as official laboratories for ASEAN NCAP. The facilities are as stipulated in the Guideline for Crash Laboratory Selection. The tests can be conducted without the presence of ASEAN NCAP Inspectors as witnesses.
With no inspector present for tests conducted at facilities other than MIROS PC3, vehicle manufacturers, crash laboratory representatives and ASEAN NCAP Inspectors may conduct a video conference to perform modifier assessment on the tested vehicle.
For blind spot tests, manufacturers are allowed to submit in-house data. ASEAN NCAP will not delay the implementation of its 2021-2025 assessment protocol.
Although there are changes in the way the assessment is conducted, the same assessment fee still applies as per guidelines.
ASEAN NCAP, which runs the New Car Assessment Programme for Southeast Asian Countries, has released its assessment on the latest Honda City. This is the third assessment that ASEAN NCAP has performed on the model, the first two being in 2012 and 2014. In fact, the model was one of the very first to be crash-tested by ASEAN NCAP at its facility in Melaka. However, for the 2020 model, the testing was conducted by the Japan Automobile Research Institute (JARI), a partner of ASEAN NCAP.
The 2020 City (Thai market version) showed an outstanding result under the current 2017-2020 assessment. The sedan obtained an overall score of 86.54 points which qualified it for the maximum 5-Star ASEAN NCAP rating.
ASEAN NCAP’s assessment of Adult Occupant Protection at the front.
For each assessed category from this accumulated score, the City received 44.83 points for the Adult Occupant Protection (AOP) category, 22.82 points for Child Occupant Protection (COP) and 18.89 points for Safety Assist Technologies (SATs).
The new sedan has a standard fitment of 4 airbags, Seatbelt Reminder System (SBR) for both of its frontal occupants and Electronic Stability Control (ESC) across all its variants. An Emergency Stop Signal technology is also available in the current City variant that is launched and sold in the Thai market either as standard or optional fitment. Nevertheless, all the safety assist technologies assessed by ASEAN NCAP will be available either as standard or as an option in all the variants that will be available in several countries across South East Asia.
In addition, the City will have Blind Spot Visualization (BSV) technology in variants that are available in certain markets. The BSV is fitted on the passenger side of the vehicle.
โWe are excited to have another 5-Star car in the line-up of ASEAN NCAP assessed vehicles. Although the City was assessed twice prior to this, we can see there have been significant improvements in the number of safety technologies that are equipped in this new model as a standard fitment. I am also pleased that, in addition to the existing safety assist technologies ASEAN NCAP is assessing which will be available in variants that will be launched soon, Honda has also added Emergency Stop Signal technology that consumers will benefit in mitigating any unwanted collision,โ said MIROS Director-General and ASEAN NCAP Chairperson, Ts. Dr. Siti Zaharah Ishak.
โThe Honda City has shown consistent 5-Star performances since it was assessed in 2012. The pre-requisite that ASEAN NCAP set in 2014 -2016 assessment in which variants that are fitted with ESC and SBR for both frontal occupants are eligible for 5-Star AOP rating, provided that the model scored within the 5-Star scoring range, was a significant impact towards the development of upcoming models. By having the pre-requisite, manufacturers are well prepared by including the ASEAN NCAP core criteria under the 2017-2020 assessment into some of the modelโs variants,โ explained ASEAN NCAP Secretary-General, Professor (Adjunct) Ir. Dr. Khairil Anwar Abu Kassim.
โMost importantly, manufacturers like Honda have now equipped these important passive and active safety technologies in their models as standard fitment in order to make their cars safer for the benefit of road users,โ he added.
In 2012, the City was among the very first cars tested by ASEAN NCAP at its crash-test facility in Melaka.
