The Fiat Strada and Ram 700 are unibody pickup trucks roughly comparable to the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz goals. The New Car Rating Program (NCAP) for Latin America and the Caribbean recently tested a pair of the Stellantis family trucks, and they managed to earn just one star out of a possible five.
Latin NCAP tested single and double cab versions of the 700 and Strada. Both configurations receive a one-star rating.
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According to the crash test records: “The bodyshell is rated unstable and unable to withstand further loads.” During a side impact, both models rolled onto two wheels, and the single-cab version looks almost upside down in the video.
There is a significant difference in whiplash protection. The single taxi receives a Bad score – the lowest possible rating. Double taxis receive a Good rating – the best available.
Another problem is that side airbags are standard only on double-cab models. They didn’t spread properly in the pole impact test, and the sensors showed poor protection of the doll’s head and chest.
The rating has also dropped as the truck lacks safety features such as autonomous emergency braking, lane support systems and blind spot detection.
“The low yield for Stellantis is very poor in terms of vehicle safety. With a model so popular in the region, we can only denounce Stellantis for this discriminatory practice against consumers in Latin America and the Caribbean,” said NCAP Latin Chairman Stephan Brodziak.
In terms of raw scores, single taxis got 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 vehicle safety assistance.
Double cabs perform better in some categories and worse in others. The score is 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 assistance.
Don’t expect either of these trucks to be available in the US. According to a report, Ram is considering a truck that will sit under 1500. There are no details on that yet.
