Increasingly safer vehicles for fleets

11.14.2025

Latin American and Caribbean markets are one of the most dynamic and important markets for small and mid-size pickup trucks. The versatility and reliability of these type of vehicles means that they play a vital role in the fleet business as well as private use and triggers the need to evaluate and improve the safety that they offer to the occupants inside and the Vulnerable Road Users outside them.

Under the current assessment protocol ending in December 2025, Latin NCAP has tested six pickup models in the region, the medium sized Mitsubishi L200/Triton, Ford New Ranger, Volkswagen Amarok and Great Wall Motors Wingle 5 and the small sized Chevrolet Montana and Fiat Strada, and its corporate twin the RAM 700.

Two of these models, the L200/Triton and New Ranger, achieved top five stars rating. The previous versions of these models were tested by Latin NCAP with worst results and were voluntarily improved by the manufacturers to the top star rating in the latest generations. This not only shows the importance these vehicles have in the fleet for regular consumers, but the relevance fleet managers are giving to safety when establishing their purchase decisions. The 2019 results of the Nissan Frontier/Navara/NP300 and Toyota Hilux, both tested under the previous and less demanding protocols, are no longer valid to be used by the manufacturers for marketing purposes and both manufacturers have failed to keep up and show consumers and fleet managers that they can meet top safety standards with Latin NCAP current protocol as Mitsubishi and Ford have done. The inexcusably poor safety equipment and performance of the Great Wall Motors Wingle 5 contradicts what the manufacturer is selling in other markets, or even within their own fleet with newer models. At the same time, better equipped models produced in relatively new Asean markets are becoming more available in our region, but its real-world safety performance is yet to be proven through independent crash testing in Latin NCAP.

These results published by Latin NCAP are even more relevant in the light of the recent study “Saving Lives Beyond 2025 - Taking Further Steps, Recommendations of the Academic Expert Group for the 4th Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety” ⁽¹⁾ which highlights that about 400,000 fatalities, or one-third of all global road deaths are in work-related crashes and that 92% of all global road deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. Specifically in Latin America and Caribbean countries where driving conditions, vehicle safety, road user behavior and infrastructure present different challenges from the more developed markets, fleet managers and commercial users have now top-rated mid-sized pickup trucks to choose from under Latin NCAP’s latest protocol.

Smaller pickups

Smaller pickups based on unibody platforms as opposed to ladder frame, like Fiat Strada (best-selling model in Brazil), its corporate twin the RAM 700, and the Chevrolet Montana were also tested and rated, both unfortunately failing to offer Advanced Driving Assistance Systems (ADAS) technologies even as optional. While the Chevrolet Montana showed that top passive safety can be offered in the segment through standard 6 airbags, including curtain airbags, and a stable structure, the side thorax head airbags of the Strada/700 failed to offer the most basic protection to the double cab version in side pole impact. The complete absence of side airbags of the also popular single cab version of the Fiat Strada/RAM 700 as well as unstable structures and lacking safety features in many other areas of the assessment further increase the risk of life-threatening injuries for occupants in these vehicles.

Highlights

-          Top safety can be fitted in work and commercial fleet: It is possible for mid-size and small pick-ups to offer five stars safety performances. Working vehicles can also offer top safety. The Ranger, L200/Triton and Amarok reached enough score to score top passive safety for adult, child occupants and Vulnerable road users in the mid-size pickup segment. The Chevrolet Montana with top passive safety also offers a safe option in the small size pickup segment.

-          Relevance in the market: More than one million pickups were sold in 2024 in 17 Latin American markets, reaching 18.4% of the total sales. From the sales volume, the pick up market in 2024 was 19.4% and 26.7% in Brazil and Argentina respectively. Small and mid-size pickup increased by over 7% from 2023 to 2024. ⁽²⁾

-          No excuses to not protect Vulnerable Road Users: Even in challenging vehicles for pedestrian and Vulnerable Road Users (VRU) protection, the L200 and Ranger showed good performance for VRU protection, combining ADAS and pedestrian passive safety.

-          Anticipate and prevent the crash: Ford Ranger and Mitsubishi L200/Triton, lead with the availability of good performing ADAS in this segment. Life and cost saving ADAS technologies such as Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Lane Support Systems (LSS) and Blind Spot Detection (BSD) are broadly available in all markets where these models are sold, with good performance and growing fitment in the total fleet. The Amarok, offering Forward Collision Warning without breaking function proves to be useful in some scenarios but needs to be improved to move to active ADAS systems.

-          Data driven evidence: 400,000 fatalities, or one-third of all global road deaths are in in work-related crashes. This includes all fatalities where at least one involved in the crash was working, either as a driver or passenger of a vehicle or as a pedestrian, including road workers.

Latin NCAP recommendations

-       Vehicle safety should be a key part of the safe work environment in public and private sector. For purchasing public or private fleets refer to the Global NCAP Fleet Safety Guide and Safer Purchasing Policy 2025-2026

-       Avoid buying vehicles that have not been tested by the local NCAP, Latin NCAP for the case of Latin America, and when possible, choose the highest star rating.

-       For a safer fleet, buy passenger vehicles with five stars in Latin NCAP, with 3-point belts with their headrests in all seating positions at least 2 frontal airbags, 2 side body airbags and 2 side head airbags, known as curtain airbags. Also to buy models offering Pedestrian protection, Electronic Stability Control (ESC), ISOFIX anchorages and Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA). If available, AEB, LSS and BSD technologies.

-       In order to prevent road traffic fatalities and injuries among employees and third parties, the Academic Expert Group for the 4th Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety recommends for the automotive sector to manufacture and market the safest possible vehicles for commercial and fleet purposes and to market vehicles with the highest level of safety performance for all global markets and submit vehicles marketed for commercial or fleet use for testing by independent consumer testing programs like Latin NCAP to inform organizational purchasers about their products’ safety performance.

(1)     https://trafikverket.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A1936696&dswid=-5968

(2)     Source: Felipe Munoz – Car Industry Analysis