Why do so many car manufacturers only sell vehicle safety devices as ‘optional extras’ or as part of an expensive package with luxury additions?
For some years now, NRMA has been concerned that some vehicle manufacturers have chosen to limit the availability of essential safety features, like ABS (anti-lock) brakes and side and head-protection airbags, to ‘packages’ which include other items such as CD players or sun roofs. This means that Members who wish to purchase the base model and option it with the best safety package available are forced to pay for luxury items they may not want.
NRMA is also disturbed that some imported vehicles, particularly those at the more affordable end of the market, are being sold in Australia with less safety equipment than in the country of origin — a practice known as “de-contenting”. Does this mean that manufacturers consider Australian lives to be less precious than those of customers from other countries?
NRMA believes all base-model vehicles should be available with at least a full airbag package and ABS brakes without these features being inextricably linked with comfort or convenience items.
In order to collect information on this issue and provide guidance to its Members, NRMA’s chief executive, Tony Stuart, sent a letter to the top 20 vehicle manufacturers and importers in Australia, enquiring about the availability of safety equipment across each manufacturer’s model range and requesting a response within a period of two months.
By the closing date, six vehicle manufacturers/importers had replied (Mazda, Nissan, Honda, Saab, Toyota and Ateco, which distributes Alfa Romeo, Citroën and Kia vehicles). Hyundai requested an extension of time in which to respond, while Ford, Holden and Mitsubishi responded when followed up after the closing date.
NRMA took the content of the responses and, in order to achieve a comprehensive report, also researched the alternative available sources of information including the main vehicle manufacturing companies’ websites, to come up with the following consolidated information for Members.
Mazda offers a full airbag package as a reasonably priced standalone option on all its passenger vehicles. The smallest Mazda vehicle, the Mazda2, is available with six airbags and ABS for just over $18,000. However, NRMA would like to see all vehicles with a full airbag package as standard, not as an extra.
Renault includes side airbags as standard on all its passenger vehicles and head airbags on the Laguna, Mégane and some of the Scenic models, although the cheapest is the Mégane Hatch Authentique variant at $25,990.
Subaru vehicles have scored very well in recent NRMA crash tests, with the current Liberty model, costing just under $31,000, scoring a five-star result even without side airbags. However, to obtain the extra protection of head airbags, you have to select the more luxurious variants which sell for at least $7000 more. But the good news is that Subaru recently announced all new Forester models will have a full airbag package as standard equipment.
Holden offers airconditioning on the base Executive model of the Commodore for a price of $2250 and airconditioning with side airbags for $2770. Given that essentially all Commodores are airconditioned, the effective side airbag option price is $520, but if you wanted side airbags without aircon, they are not available. Holden claims its airbag design, with a vertical extension on the side airbag, also provides head-impact protection. In the Holden Ute, you have to take a $3780 package including aircon to get ABS brakes and a passenger airbag. Airconditioning on its own is $2250, so at an extra $1530 the package is reasonable value, but if you want the safety items without the aircon, you can’t have it. Side and head airbags are not available on any ute models.
Ford offers side airbags on the base-model Falcon for an extra $555 and, like Holden, claims that the design also provides head-impact protection. In the Falcon Ute, you can option ABS brakes for $930, but side and head airbags are not available.
Nissan’s Patrol has side airbags available, but you have to buy the Ti variant to get them, which has a RRP of almost $74,000, whereas the mechanically identical ST-L costs just under $63,000. The Nissan Maxima has front and side airbags in all variants but you have to pay $1000 to get the head airbags in the base model. Side or head airbags are not available in the Pulsar, Pathfinder, Navara or X-Trail.
Mitsubishi provides a side airbag as standard equipment on the Magna range, but head airbags are not available in any Magna models. As with the other Australian manufacturers, side and head airbags are not available in the Triton Double Cab ute and the base model doesn’t have any airbags. To be able to specify airbags, you have to upgrade from the four-cylinder engine to the V6 at a cost of $5200, then pay another $1200 for twin front airbags.
NRMA cannot see why commercial vehicles should be offered with lower standards of protection. Commercial vehicles are just as likely to be involved in crashes as passenger vehicles — maybe even more likely because of the high on-road exposure of couriers, for example. High levels of crash protection should be available to everyone, to reduce overall road trauma. Equally, companies using commercial vehicles such as utes should be specifying high levels of safety equipment in these vehicles, so that it is worthwhile for manufacturers to provide them.
Hyundai provides twin front airbags as standard across its range, but you have to pay $2000 for ABS packaged with alloy wheels in the Elantra and $2400 in the Getz and Accent. Side and head airbags are not available in any Hyundai model except the Tiburon, which has a full package in the top-of-the-range variant.
Toyota’s base-model Camry, the Altise, comes with frontal airbags only and ABS is optional at a cost of $750. To get side airbags, you have to buy the Ateva variant at $3000 extra in the four-cylinder version and $4500 in the V6 version, but at least you get ABS as well for your extra money. You also get a large range of other features, such as woodgrain-effect dash details, cruise control and metallic paint, which you may or may not want. Alternatively, you could select the four-cylinder Sportivo model (which, at $30,990, is $500 cheaper than the Ateva) and specify the optional side airbags, but you have to take the powered sun roof with them, and the package costs an extra $2150. This would be a lower cost overall for side airbags than the Ateva, but you may not like the stiffer sports suspension in the Sportivo.
The Toyota Prado, the best-selling 4WD (or SUV — Sport Utility Vehicle — as the industry would like you to call them now) this year, suffers from the same problem. You can’t order ABS or side and head airbags on the base model GX, which has a recommended retail price of $39,230. Instead, you have to purchase the VX variant at $63,590, a difference of $24,360. This pricing/options policy effectively prices better occupant protection out of the reach of many customers.
NRMA believes Toyota’s option policy is very confusing and makes it impossible for buyers to purchase a base model with the most important safety features. At least side and head airbags and ABS brakes should be available individually across the range, preferably as standard equipment but, if not, as an option at a reasonable cost.
Among the luxury brands, Alfa Romeo provides ABS and a full airbag package on its 147 and 156 models. Its Spider and GTV range have ABS and front and side airbags, but head airbags are not available for either range (or even relevant in the case of the Spider, which is a convertible and therefore cannot accommodate head airbags).
BMW includes front, side and head airbags as standard equipment on all its passenger vehicles except its convertible variants. Its cheapest model, the 316, costs over $41,000.
Lexus has a full airbag package across its range, except the SC430 convertible and the LX470 4WD wagon.
Mercedes Benz includes ABS and a full airbag package on all its passenger cars except the small A class, which doesn’t have head airbags.
Saab and Audi provide ABS and a full airbag package across their model range, while Saab models also include active head restraints in the front seats, which can reduce neck injury in rear impacts.
On the subject of de-contenting, some examples that NRMA discovered are:
Toyota Echo, which until recently was available with twin front airbags. Now a passenger airbag is not available even as an option, which partly explains why the car has become a three-star crash rating vehicle rather than a four-star, as it was previously. Interestingly, in New Zealand all models of the Echo are fitted with twin front airbags.
Ford Focus, which comes with anti-lock brakes and driver and passenger frontal airbags in Europe but only with a standard driver airbag in Australia. To get ABS and a passenger airbag in Australia, you have to specify a safety pack at a cost of $1100.
Nissan X-Trail, for which side airbags are not available, despite being standard in the European version.
Toyota Corolla, which comes with ABS and a dual airbag package in Europe, but in this country only a driver airbag is standard. To get the extra equipment in Australia, you have to pay another $1400 for the safety package.
An interim step would be for manufacturers to make this equipment available at a reasonable price, not linked to expensive luxury items.
In its reply to NRMA’s query, Holden made the point that “any crash represents a failure of the transportation system — the driver, the vehicle and the road”, and stated that manufacturers can’t provide all the protection required to avoid fatalities and injuries. NRMA fully agrees, but buying a vehicle with as much protection as possible is one way motorists can reduce the risk of injury by their own action, rather than relying on governments to provide safer infrastructure and better driver training. Increasing the cost of safety items in vehicles by combining them with luxury items makes it more difficult for motorists to purchase safety.
Information on recommended retail price and options obtained from Glass’s Guide Autocomplete Mid June 2004 edition and the vehicle manufacturers’ official websites.
The number of safety features offered in today’s vehicles is enormous, and a whole new language has grown up to describe the technology. Here, we explain the jargon and alphabet soup of acronyms surrounding safety technology.
Report by Jack Haley, Policy Specialist - Vehicles, National Roads & Motorists' Association Limited.
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