Fiat Strada And Ram 700 Score Just One Star In Latin NCAP Crash Test

The Fiat Strada and Ram 700 are unibody pickup trucks that would be roughly comparable in purpose to the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz. The New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP) for Latin America and the Caribbean recently tested the pair of Stellantis-family trucks, and they managed to earn just one star out of a possible five.

Latin NCAP tested both the single- and double-cab versions of the 700 and Strada. Both configurations received a one-star rating.

According to the crash test notes: "The bodyshell was rated as unstable and not capable of withstanding further loadings." During the side impact, both models tipped onto two wheels, and the single-cab version seemed close to tipping over in the video.

There were significant differences in whiplash protection. The single cab received a Poor score – the lowest rating possible. The double cab received a Good grade – the best available.

Another problem was that side airbags are only standard on the double-cab model. They didn't deploy correctly in the pole impact test, and the sensors showed poor protection to the dummy's head and chest.

The ratings also suffered because the trucks don't have safety features like autonomous emergency braking, lane support systems, and blind spot detection.

"Such a low result for Stellantis is very bad in terms of vehicle safety. With such a popular model in the region, we can only denounce Stellantis for this practice of discrimination against consumers in Latin America and the Caribbean," said Latin NCAP Chairman Stephan Brodziak.

In terms of raw scores, the single cab received 47.47 percent for adult protection, 22.08 percent for child protection, 40.23 percent for pedestrian and vulnerable road user protection, and 41.86 percent for the vehicle's safety assistance.

The double cab did better in some categories and worse in others. It scored 41.39 percent for adult protection, 52.96 percent for child protection, 40.23 percent for pedestrians and vulnerable road users,  and 48.84 percent for safety assists.