Five stars for Malibu

GM Holden’s upcoming Malibu has earned a maximum five-star rating from ANCAP, the Australasian automotive safety body that today also criticised the new Fiat Freemont for failing to do so.

While ANCAP praised the top safety raking of the Korean-built mid-size sedan, which will be launched in Australia a little more than a week after Holden’s upgraded VF Commodore goes on sale next month, it took aim at the US-built, Italian-badged Freemont people-mover.

ANCAP said that while the five-star Malibu, a belated replacement for the forgettable Epica, comes with comparable safety levels in North America, Europe and China, where it is already on sale, the Freemont does not.

Australia’s Freemont, which went on sale here a month ago priced from just $27,000 drive-away following the discontinuation of the Dodge Journey on which it’s based, does not come with the same pedestrian-protecting active bonnet with which it is fitted as standard in Europe.

“Models like the Freemont are purpose-built to carry up to seven occupants - in particular families,” said ANCAP CEO, Nicholas Clarke.

“It is therefore concerning that this model did not score sufficient points to achieve a five-star ANCAP safety rating.

“We need to see the same maximum level of vehicle safety technologies offered in all countries. We're all equal, we should save lives equally -- here, in Europe, in America, in Asia, right across the world.

“There's no reason why all manufacturers can't build and sell the same vehicles to all,” he said.

ANCAP said the Malibu performed well across all of its crash tests, providing good levels of protection to the majority of body regions for both the driver and passenger.

However, the Freemont -- which is marketed as an SUV rather than a people-mover in Australia, where SUV sales are booming – lost points for its relative lack of pedestrian protection.

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