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Shopping for a new or second-hand vehicle has seen requirement priorities change over the years, especially when the consumers are parents. Things like good looks and power figures are swapped out for safety features and driving aides.
Child occupant safety has become an important factor in safety crash test ratings as well. The new Renault Sandero Stepway Plus would probably not be the first car you would think of when you're considering vehicle safety, and especially the safety of your offspring should a collision occur.
READ: SA vehicle sales: Kwid, Sandero bring in the numbers for Renault
We've all seen an aftermath of a crashed vehicle, or worse, witnessed a crash. It's not something you would want to think about but, it does help knowing there are cars available in our local market that has a very high child safety rating in the event of a crash.
Image: Wheels24 / Leigh-Ann Londt
The Sandero has been rated best in class safety in 2017, further endorsed by a Global NCAP 4-star rating for child protection, that's even one more than its adult protection rating with three stars. The Sandero Stepway Plus, as well as the rest of the range, has front airbags, ABS, electronic brake distribution (EBD), electronic brake assist (EBA), electronic stability programme (ESP), ASR, and hill start assist is standard across the range, further endorsed through 2017 Global NCAP 4-star rating for child protection.
As a mother to a little one, that gives me peace of mind when I'm driving the vehicle. Of course this all means your child needs to be safely secured and strapped in a child seat, else the rating is null and void.
No matter how safe a vehicle is, and how many features it has, strapping your children in correctly is imperative. The Sandero Plus has Isofix anchorages in all the passenger seats for child seats to be secured. The passenger airbag can also be deactivated when there is a younger child strapped in a baby seat in the front of the vehicle.
Image: Wheels24 / Leigh-Ann Londt
According to the Global NCAP: "The Sandero achieved a three star rating for adult occupant protection in the frontal crash test at 64km/h. The vehicle structure was rated as stable, offering acceptable general adult occupant protection. The car did not include seatbelt pretensioners. Using the child seats recommended by Renault, the Sandero achieved a four star rating for child occupant protection.
