2008 MITSUBISHI LANCER VRX – CRASH TEST
May 21, 2008 by Anthony Crawford
“If you are in the market for a new or used car right now – make damn sure you choose a car with Curtain Airbags”
-By ANTHONY CRAWFORD
Car Advice witnessed a live crash test by ANCAP (Australian New Car Assessment Program) at the RTA’s $25 million Crashlab facility in Sydney today.
The actual crash test witnessed in full today is called a Pole Test where a car impacts a steel pole lined up with the driver’s head, at a not so quick 29km/h.
The visual of this impact is alarming, far worse than you can ever imagine.
Put it this way, if this type of impact occurs while you are driving a car with no curtain airbags, then you will probably not make it home alive.
Let me explain it, in this way. If you were in good shape and sprinted flat out for 100 metres, you might hit close to 29km/h. An Olympic sprinter may reach 40km/h in a burst.
Now picture this. If that same sprinter ran full tilt at 29km/h straight into a metal pole, while their head was side on, how do you think they would end up? My guess is they would not get up again. Ever!
The latest Mitsubishi Lancer VRX has a full compliment of airbags including curtain or head, as they are sometimes referred to, and is confident the car can achieve a maximum five star safety rating.
Although the actual results of this particular crash test will not be published until early June, we could clearly see the curtain airbags deploy (via footage from 7 high-speed cameras which shoot at a staggering 1000 frames per second) and the crash test dummy’s head strike the airbag with tremendous force, which seemed to provide a lifesaving cushion for the head.
It’s a pity that every driver in Australia can’t witness what we saw today. If they did, you wouldn’t think twice about the need to purchase a car with curtain airbags. Dead or alive, it’s that simple.
There are other more severe crash tests performed by ANCAP here at Crashlab, and they are; the “offset full frontal” which simulates a collision with another vehicle, and the side impact test where a 950kg trolley is driven into the driver’s side of the test vehicle at 50km/h. Both frightening and potentially catastrophic situations should they occur in the real world.
There is currently a big push for more carmakers to include Electronic Stability Control (ESC) also known as, ESP, VSC, ASC, PSM and StabiliTrack as standard equipment and that, can only be a good thing.
The reason is simple. The system can save your life in a variety of extraordinary, but all too common driving situations. For example, if you are behind a large removal truck, which has one door swinging wildly open (I saw this happen last week) and a large box falls off the back and in front of you, what do you do? If you’re car is fitted with a version of stability control, then you are able to swerve violently to avoid the box and then most likely bring the car back onto a straight path, without losing control of the car.
ESC in simple terms, works by monitoring the direction of the front wheels, where the driver wants to go, with the actual direction the vehicle is going. If the two don’t match up, ESC applies the brakes to individual wheels until the driver regains control of the vehicle. The system can also reduce engine power, assist in tight corners and in wet conditions where you may be sliding off the road.
We had the chance to drive two very different cars at Crashlab today, one with ESP and the other without. The results, when negotiating a rapid change of direction at 50km/h were alarming, on the car without ESP.
There is a very graphic TV commercial which demonstrates the potential of ESC, which should hit your TV screen shortly.
We also saw two small cars of the same make and model but from different years. One from 1989, and the other from 2005, which had been put through a head on collision. The difference in crumple zone designs and the effect on driver safety was huge.
The 2005 car, which was equipped with driver and front passenger airbags, was virtually untouched from the A-Pillar back and both airbags had deployed.
The driver of the 1989 car, without airbags, would have suffered horrific total body injury, as would have the passenger behind the driver, as the front seat back had been driven back on the rear seat cushion.
ANCAP commenced operations in 1992 and that’s long before the Europeans (Euro NCAP) kicked off in 1999.
They are a dedicated bunch of people who clearly have a passion for saving lives by working with car companies and governments to improve the structural integrity of a car, as well as the inclusion of both active and passive safety systems, which might just save your life, or at the very least, minimise injuries.
There is no doubt ANCAP, car companies and governments, have an enormous task ahead of them, given the hundreds of lives lost on our roads each year.
Check back for graphic footage of this test next week on Car Advice.
Print it: 
********* Primo **********
I’m convinced!! my next car will have both curtain airbags and stability control…..after all no use being a dead hero!
I don’t get why items like this can’t be standard. I know car manufacturers are a business, and a lot of them these days seem to be losing money rather than making it. But I’d rather do without an MP3 capable stereo with 6 speakers and have all these safety features.
Don’t get me wrong, I like a nice sound system. But I’d rather listen to the engine anyway. And I understand where manufacturers come from when they talk cost.
But for the sake of all humanity, wouldn’t you put safety over creature comforts?
Either way, I consult customers on their needs and I have one rule I always try and make a point of telling. Always buy the best you can afford.
Every car out there, regardless of price range just about has the safety features you would expect in today’s day and age. But it’s sad when in some cases it is still an option, and worse when it isn’t at all.
Hopefully the Lancer does well in the tests. I personally don’t like Mitsubushi. But then again, they’re a damn sight more interesting to drive than those shopping baskets people refer to as a Corolla.
So, good luck to the Mitsu. At least they have some safety features standard. My mate’s girlfriend bought a rolla last year and it didn’t even come with ABS. A bit sad in today’s times.
SteveC
Hear, hear SteveC. When purchasing my MINI Cooper S back in early 2004 I opted for DSC over the similarly priced Harmon Kardon hi fi upgrade. I’m so glad I did. I’ve taken the car, and my wife’s 2006 Golf GTI, to skid pan days where I’ve driven on wet concrete. The ability for the DSC/ESP systems to maintain control in such adverse conditions is astounding. I will only ever switch off DSC at track days, where there is generally ample run off and no oncoming traffic. On the road, though, I just can’t work out why people would ever turn off their DSC system. It’s not there for the times you think you need it, it is there for the times you have absolutely no idea you need it.
If your car has a DSC style system, take it out to a skid pan day and see for yourself how a human has absolutely zero chance of ever being able to match the reactions and control such systems provide.
Kudos to CA for bringing us stories such as these as well, thank you.
yep lancer comes with 7 airbags and abs, traction control and ESP (ASC in mitsu speak) as standard on even the base ES model. I bought a VRX though because it looks better, has a better stereo, more comfy bucket type seats and is reasonably enjoyable to punt around a twisty road, although it definetly needs more power but that doesn’t really concern me as it was bought for my wife who isn’t really interested in that.
Also holden just (last month) did a minor upgrade of the commodore omega, as well as a new grille and alloys and aircon as standard for the same price, they now also include the full compliment of airbags as standard now aswell, meaning holden is another who offers full airbags, abs, traction control and ESP as standard on the whole commodore range.
The advancement in car safety in the last few years can only be a good thing.Is the white corolla draging a witchs hat?
Is that Dr. Karl in those pictures with the fruity hawaiian t-shirt?
This is a very good report. Thanks.
My daughter recently bought a replacement car for her ageing Mazda Bubble. After visiting the Melbourne Motor show at my suggestion(ticket supplied by dad :) ) to look at what car she likes, she came back with a preference for the Swift. I wanted her to look at the new lancer because of its full house, but it was too big for her liking.
I then suggested she get the S model Swift with curtain airbags, unfortunately no stability control, but has ABS and supreme tyres (Potenza).
We found a beaut second hand one with 19,000ks so she’s in as good a car as she can afford and it has a much better primary and secondary safety than the Bubble had.
There is no question that the next vehicle I buy for myself will have all the boxes ticked (I’m liking the V6 diesel Q5 at the moment), and the next car for my wife will be an A class, which she likes as a replacement for the Sirion GTVi.
As for the improvement in cars, there’s no doubt they don’t build them like they used to. I still vividly remember witnessing the results of a head-on between a Cortina 1600 and a Valiant many years ago. Cortinas were a tinny square box of rubbish that would crush if you sat on them, whereas the Valiant was (in theory) solid. Well, the Valiant’s engine, driver seat and steering wheel were all alone in the paddock 100 yards from the road, remaining pieces of the car were found by a search party, and the Cortina was a small cube of metal. One folded, one exploded.
Yes, Smokin, I’m pretty sure it is.
They used his shirt to distract drivers, causing them to lose control of the cars in the skid pan :)
Great article guys. Safety first. Its amazing that car companies have had to have the government force them to make these life saving features standard and not for a couple of years yet. What’s even more amazing is people will pay extra for alloys but they wont pay the extra for the safety features.
I think cars that rate below 4 stars should be banned from being sold in Australia.
Spelling guys…get on top of it.
Airbags are a start I guess and the nanny controls that we can buy but what about the construction side of cars?? Why cant more manufactures improve on this? Volvo has SIPS a great system and one that I think all manufactures should provide. I guess every thing comes down to cost!
A good article. Does it matter that the Astras were built by Nissan and Opel respectively, or was it simply an illustration of the differences betwen popular small cars of 1989 amd 2005?
P plate deaths are put down to poor driving or attitude but its more likely older cars with no safety features, I know I was given a 1983 Nissan pulsar for my first car and im sure that’s the norm. i think its just a matter of time for these cars to become older and filter down to P platers or maybe governments to subsidise young drivers to buy cars with Curtain airbags and ESP
On the contrary the current government sees fit to put safer “” Luxury”" cars further out of average peoples budgets by taxing them more.I guess you deserve a better chance of living if you are wealthy !!
Great Article Car Advice! Really good insight into ANCAP that most of us would have never seen. Meanwhile, Drive.com.au continues to break new ground with an obscene number of Ford vs. Holden Blogs….
Keep up the good work!
There are still so many pre-1995 cars out there with virtually no airbags.
If I had $20k to spend on a car, I would still go for an older version sport car possibly with at least airbaigs instead of a brand new Hyundai Excel (or something with similar price) that have ESP.
If you’re traveling behind a truck with flapping rear door, you would want to keep a maximum distance away from it (say 5 secs). Why rely on ESP when you can avoid using it.
I strongly think it still comes to the safety mentality first.
These additional safety equipments are secondary (side curtain airbags won’t help the pedestrian you’ve just rammed).
Boggy, that’s political crap.
If you want full house safety, you can get it in dozens of cars costing less than $57,123
EG Lancer at around 20,000, Holden/Falcon $35,000, Peugot/Renault/VW all less than the LCT threshold.
The new Mazda 6 and the new Honda Accord Euro have all these safety features, below the luxury car tax; and have more power than the BMW 320 and Audi A4.
Sure there are a number of cars that offer good safety credentials undeer LCT limit but it cannot be denied that larger euro cars over the relatively ‘Low ” lct threshold do offer better safety especially Passive Safety, accident avoidance is far better than having one. I am just havin a gripe about all of us getting slugged more tax just because we want a nice car
NOT Primo!
Waste of a car, but a very valid test.The thing is though, yes side bags are important, but the police accident data shows not that many have died from side impact, more of a head on issue causes death.
How did Buster pull up?All bent and broken?
I see Dr Karl Kruszelnicki :-)
U forgot to mention the almighty noise made by this!
Cheers
F-0
I saw Dr Karl Kruszelnicki too! :)
The two cars tested that are from 2005 and 1989 models are Holden Astra’s. The 1989 model steering wheel is severley broken.
“There is a very graphic TV commercial which demonstrates the potential of ESC, which should hit your TV screen shortly.”
^Thats the Hyundai ESC offer till the 30th of June 08.
Richo Says:
May 21st, 2008 at 9:11 am
“Also holden just (last month) did a minor upgrade of the commodore omega, as well as a new grille and alloys and aircon as standard for the same price, they now also include the full compliment of airbags as standard now aswell, meaning holden is another who offers full airbags, abs, traction control and ESP as standard on the whole commodore range.”
Richo, Holen has done minor upgrades like the new grille, alloys, 6 airbags and aircon now standard like you said. But I don’t think it’s the same price. It’s jumped from $34,490 to $36,490 because it has alloys and air con standard now.
Oh yeah………………GO THE BLUES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) :) :) :)
Wasn’t it Toyota and/or Holden that didn’t supply a pole for the crash tests for aurion/commodore? Is that why they got four stars?
“If you are in the market for a new or used car right now – make damn sure you choose a car with Curtain Airbags”
So, can we assume then that Car Advice will never again recommend anyone to buy a convertible?
Duck it was holden who only provided 4 cars for the ANCrAP tests as the cars are provided to ANCrAP at the manufacturers expense and at the time Holden didn’t have that many VEs as they were in the process getting enough cars to meet espectes/initial demand as well as ship demo models out to the major dealers in each state.
Whereas Toyota had enough Avalons to do the 5 ANCRAP tests. However the 5th car failed the last test yet due to a loophole in ANCrAP guidelines it was reported that Toyota provided upto 3 more subsequent cars for the tests.. the last one passed the test and ANCrAP awarded the Avalon 5 stars.
So really its not the safety of the Model of car being Tested by ANCrAP in their sterile controlled unrealistic environment but the safety of a particular car of that particular model.. So your Holden Barina may fail the test yet my Barina may have passed.
Which is why I and a number of others on this site don’t put to much weight behind the ANCrAP test results.. those that do are bad drivers as they are either expecting to have a crash or lack the skill/ability to take any form of evasive action.. something which ANCrAP alsoeem to ignore – the factor of human reactions etc.
Good stuff – pity many of us don’t make safety a priority first rather than balls out performance which you cannot really use much. Whats the point in a rip snorting car with little safety equipment. Perverse at its worst.
Hopefully we all drive sensibly and won’t need to use the airbags.
I was watching some police chase programme the other day where two cars, one being persued by the cops, crashed into each other at an approximate collision speed of 170mph. all occupants survived with minor injuries.
Wheelnut,
No actually ACAP purchase cars for all of their tests, EXCEPT the pole test. The cars are not purchased from the “factory” either, they just buy them from dealers around the country like any private sale, so that they are not fed specially prepared vehicles.
And the fact remains that Holden refused to supply a car for the pole test – it had absolutly nothing to do with supply issues (and the offer is still on the table, they’ve had 18 months).
I agree that ANCAP results can be missleading, however they are a good guide, and it’s all we’ve got. Manufacturers aften haev abetter idea of a cars crashworthiness, after all Ford put the FG Falcon through 5000 computer crash simulations and 90 instrumented prototypes were physically crash tested.
Just drive a Landcruiser and anything else is pecks paste.
Richo, the Lancer does not come standard with 7 airbags at base level, it has 3 and the extra four are a $850 option. I just bought an ‘08 Lancer ES. And now after reading this story I am thinking perhaps I should have bought the extra airbags…
Duck, yes the test demonstrated a 1989 and a 2005 Holden Astra, however the 1989 model was engineered by Nissan and built in Australia, where the 2005 model was engineered and built in Europe. I think the exercise was to prove as Golfschwein says, the difference 16 years makes in safety.
Also, Duck, I am not 100% confident that the Hyundai ad is the ESC ad they are referring to. I think it may be release by a safety organisation like ANCAP which would more deeply explain the operation and benefits of ESC.
I should clarify, the 1989 model was built by Nissan (as a partner to GM Holden encouraged by the Button Plan), and that Opel (a GM brand) engineered and built the 2005 model.
SteveC Says:
May 21st, 2008 at 6:59 am
I don’t get why items like this can’t be standard. I know car manufacturers are a business, and a lot of them these days seem to be losing money rather than making it. But I’d rather do without an MP3 capable stereo with 6 speakers and have all these safety features.
—————————————————————————————————————
The good thing about the Lancer VRX is that although the good stereo is an option while the airbags and other safety features are standard, its only an extra $750 which is a bargain when you consider what you’re actually getting. Very few cars come from the factory with a more powerful sound system, you can probably count them on one hand.
I have the new Lancer VRX and I love it. It is a bit slow when taking off, but it is fantastic when it comes to overtaking.
Excellent article. Great to see behind the scenes and to read about the ins and outs of what can typically mean so very little. I think CarAdvice has achieved something of a first in that respect.
This article has been an eye opener for me and I’ll re-think my next purchase, thanks so very much!
Andrew Says:
May 21st, 2008 at 9:11 pm
“I should clarify, the 1989 model was built by Nissan (as a partner to GM Holden encouraged by the Button Plan), and that Opel (a GM brand) engineered and built the 2005 model.”
Holden also built the engines (after 1987) and stamped some of the major panels on the car.
After reading this article I’m SOOOO glad I bought my SR i30!! (6 bags and ABS, EBD, ESP & TCS)). Safety was right up there when choosing my new car in November last year, particularly coming from a VP Commodore which I witnessed one too many scary moments in the wet with…
I haven’t had to use any of the safety systems in the i30 yet *touch wood* but if I do, I know that I’ll have a MUCH better chance of survival. My life is worth the extra money you may need to spend in pursuit of decent safety. Is yours? Your families? Ask yourself that question when you buy your next car.
Phillip you can get a convertible with curtain airbags,the only one in the world though, Volvo C70.It has side cutain bags that deply upwards from the top of the doors and stay inflated for 4 seconds
i didn’t get the big stereo option on my lancer VRX, mainly because our babies pram won’t fit in the boot when the sub from the optional stereo system is in place, however i find that even the standard stereo pumps pretty hard and produces good sound for a stock system, and having an in dash 6 stacker is always nice
I wonder when the ESC ad comes out. It will pursuade private buyers to buy a car with ESC, thats what the ad will try and do (for safety). So if car companies dont have it, they will have to make it an neccisaty maybe.
P.S. THE BLUES WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
YYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don’t think ANCrAP would have the necessary funds to purchase the number of cars they would need given the number of tests they do
For Example: lets say the average price of a Large Family Sedan like the Commodore Falcon or Avalon.. I mean Aurion is $30;000 that would mean inorder to do the 5 tests ANCrAP would need at least $150;000 to purchase 5 cars.. from each make – there are 3 main competitors which would make it $450;000
Even more for those categories which include more than 3 cars or those which include Luxury European Cars.. Imagine the cost of a test between an Aston Martin/Lambo/BMW/Merc-Benz/Porsche/Audi if ANCrAp had to pay for em
Then theres the number of different market sectors in Oz such as Hatchback; Medium Sedan; Large Sedan; Ute; Large 4×4; Medium 4×4; Cross-Over/Soft-Roader; Coupe; Cabriolet/Convertible etc
Therefore; we are looking at a multi million dollar budget. which I doubt ANCrAp would Have even with federal funding or support from insurance companies etc..which is why I say that he cars are [more likely] supplied by the car companies as they can write off the cost as research and development.
Duck, I thought yoy supported team RED not team BLUE, hang on there wasn’t any motorsprt on last night. Matter of fact there was no sport of any consequnce on last night.
Buggerby what?
Wheelnut,
What I posted above was not an opinion, it was from the ANCAP website (a while ago though). ANCAP have redone their website since I read what’s posted above, however here is a direct quote:
“ANCAP purchases vehicles for its testing that would otherwise have been bought by members of the public”
Also don’t forget that ANCAP don’t test all cars (or even models within a range), but quote resulsts from other related organisations worldwide, such as EuroNCAP. ANCAP was the first such organisation though.
As an example ANCAP haven’t tested a Falcon since the BA.
So no, the manufactures don’t supply the cars generally. If they strongly dissagree with a result, they may be allowed to supply a car for a second test, at their expense, just like the “optional” pole test.
Bret, mate i go for the Swans, I prefer Holden and i go for the Blues!
Is that alright!?