The New Car Assessment Program in Latin America continues to post disappointment after the first BYD tested, the F0, has scored zero stars, while the Fiat Palio has only achieved one star.

The BYD F0, which is similar to the Peugeot 107, lacks airbags in the most basic version and this, along with high-risk injuries for adult occupants in the frontal impact, led to a zero-star safety rating, even if it proved to have a stable structure.

Dummy readings, the lack of 3-point seatbelts in all seating positions, low score in the CRS installation and poor instructions manual assured it a 1-star rating in child occupant protection, and since the frontal test has proved that the F0 is a zero-star car, engineers did not test it for a side impact. However, Latin NCAP notes that it offers “basic side impact structural and interior protection like door reinforcements”.

Arriving with Latin NCAP’s technicians in 2014 when it scored four stars for adult occupant protection and three stars for child occupant protection in the frontal impact, the Fiat Palio has now been tested in the side impact and it proved to offer good protection, but the absence of side airbags is blamed on the poor rating of one star in adult occupant and three stars in child occupant protection.

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