Nissan has announced that it is ending production of its Tsuru sedan in Mexico by May 2017. The automaker said that there will be no direct substitute for the zero-star rated car – more familiar to many as the B13 Sentra – and will begin steering customers towards other models in its Mexican line-up.
The automaker made the announcement on the eve of a car-to-car crash test involving the Tsuru and the five-star rated 2016 Nissan Versa (US-market version of the Almera) organised by Global NCAP and Latin NCAP. The results of the test, which involved a 50% overlap and a combined closing speed of 129 km/h (80 mph), graphically highlighted the urgent need for the Tsuru to be taken out of production.
Global NCAP said that a driver in the Tsuru would have had a high probability of suffering life-threatening injuries. It added that it is likely that such a crash in real world conditions would have been fatal because there were no airbags in the Tsuru and the main structures all failed, fatally compromising the survival space.
“Our first ever car-to-car test clearly shows the importance of minimum crash test regulations. Mexico doesn’t yet apply them and the US has had them for decades. The lack of standards can result in the sale of unsafe cars like the Nissan Tsuru,” Global NCAP secretary-general David Ward said.
“Across Latin America, all countries should apply UN or equivalent safety standards to all new passenger cars, so that there is no future for zero-star cars,” he added.
The Tsuru was crash tested three years ago by Latin NCAP and given a zero-star rating. In April this year, Latin NCAP published a report showing that the Tsuru had been involved in more than 4,000 deaths on Mexico’s roads between 2007 and 2012.
While welcoming Nissan’s announcement that it was pulling the plug on the Tsuru, Latin NCAP secretary-general Alejando Furas questioned the delay in getting the car off the market.
“Why should at least 15,000 more units of this potentially life threatening model be sold between now and May? Why has it taken Nissan three years since we first crash tested and gave the Tsuru a zero-star rating to take this unsafe car out of production?,” he asked.
Meanwhile, the automaker, in making the announcement of the Tsuru’s future, added that a special commemorative version of the car will be sold beginning March 2017, with only 1,000 units available.
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reminds me of the B13 Nissan sentra
So scary teksi Genting..
Wow what a beautiful name…many parents would want to name their children with such a beautiful name…paul tan himself especially…
It is a Sentra. It also mean it is a reliable workhorse. It is probably cheap to replace/maintain in Mexico & i suspect that is the main reason why it has been in production till now.
Not much different with Malaysian market thou, Nissan, Perodua, Toyota still selling mediocre vehicles in Malaysia because we don’t have choice, because of their brand name, because of their parts reliability but at what cost to the tax payers? to people? to government budgets? Two airbags for MPV? Non mandatory crash test before any vehicles can be sold to public? No added values for Isofix if other more important safety features not even mandatory in mass produce cars with exception Proton & Honda now, moving into right direction with safety first for customers regardless of model and variants. To Japan, please stop practice of dumping your 3rd class n junk to Malaysian. Japan do have moral duty to ensure your car company put safety first before exorbitant capitalist profiteers. To Malaysian, we need the crash test to be mandatory and publish in all advertising and promotion. Paul Tan should be promoting and educate in your write up, not just stop at Isofix.
drillero, U are just another complainer who like to complain for the sake of complaining. Did U read your post B4 posting ?
U said “in Malaysia because we don’t have choice, because of their brand name, because of their parts reliability”.
Your statement contradict your entire posting which states that the Japanese give us “3rd class” junk. How can a 3rd class junk be “reliable” & Branded.
Honda/Toyota/Nissan have C/D-segment cars that have better qualities than A/B-segment cars. Work harder so that U can buy a better car. IT’s your attitude/thinking that is holding U back.
So? Who cares if you drive Lambo or Maybach? C class & D class for poor & general Malaysian? your lame logic does not justify the exorbitant price imposed by the greedy automakers & distributors locally or globally. Nissan salesman detected.
I thought NCAP crash speed is 60~70 kmph? So doing 130kmph is unfair to this venerable relic
The cars were both doing around 64 km/h; 129 km/h is the combined speed of the collision.
Yeah, I know. But u can see that even the 5star car din come out of the crash pretty well. So Tsuru might have 0 star but crashing into another speeding car have obliterated it. Kinda unfair comparison dun think?
Umm even if the 2 cars speed don’t add up with each other. Both travelling at 64kmh will still only equal to crashing into a solid wall at 64kmh. It’s like a total of128kmh but shared among the two cars so each one only gets hit with the force equal to 64 kmh. Mythbusters tested this ;)
Fair? Or your profit is more important? Is it fair if your family driving this car? Tell that to poor people &!their family who stuck in this type of junk car?
OMG, you mean this Tsuru aka Sunny still selling in Mexico ?! That means M’sia is having the best of Nissan all this while.
Bravo to TC for giving M’sian their best from Nissan. Please replace the aging Almera with a better/updated & good looking B-segment car to compete with Vios/City/Mazda2
Nissan gives the best here? Not so Grand Livina with 2 airbags selling at hefty price? Crash Test report? LOL
drillero, if give U 4/6 airbags also U will complain bcos U will say Nissan airbag may explode. U can always buy another car if U don’t like Grand Livina. Yes or Not !?
Lame excuses, Japs car company dont wanna give safety features because people will complaints? If you dont want to get complaints then sell to poor Malaysian & Mexican alike? Globally, you pay peanuts you get monkey, well in this case, you pay premium just to get junk car? The junk that will traps you & your family in case of crash? Is this type of car company & people mindset that we need for safer Malaysia?
B13 sentra. Taxi genting!!
Thats our Sentra B13. Luckily TC already discontinue the N16 which is the longest produce Sentra in Malaysia. Now I wonder how long they gonna produce the current Almera.
Nissan Tin Milo
And I thought our first gen saga and Wira is the longest production car ever! this one is much longer !
VW classic beetle was in production for almost 70 years (was continued at Brazil until 2000)
The Beetle was produced from 1938 to 2003. That’s 65 years.
After reading the article, now I have a bigger picture why Malaysia has the highest car accident fatality rate in the world. They should produce a Wira on one of these test and see if it get negative score. Malaysia boleh.
Show that to people who keep saying old cars are tough, and they look tough and whatever…