This is what a crash test of a new car without stars looks like

Today’s cars are so safe, and the rules have become so strict, that few people get truly terrible failure ratings. So when that rare new car shows up with a zero safety rating, it can be alarming. Unfortunately for any Brazilian customer living with a Citroen The Aircross failed to collect a single star during the Latin NCAP (New Car Assessment Program) assessment. The video is both horrifying and hilarious.

In Brazil, Citroen Aircross costs from 115,990 are realwhich is approximately $19,945. So it’s cheap, but not cheap. Comparatively, art Nissan Versa starts at $17,820 in the US, received good NCAP scores and five stars from our National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

One of the reasons why Citroen’s cheap crossover fails so badly is the lack of airbags; he only has two. Back to the Versa, it has 10. Having that many airbags combined with bad seat belts makes for a deadly combination. The video is sickeningly funny to watch. The crashes themselves don’t look too bad, as the car seems to deform quite normally. But you really realize how dangerous Aircross is when dummies fly around the cabin like in a bad QWOP video.

In the frontal crash test, you can see the front dummies hit their heads on the steering wheel and dashboard, even with two front airbags, and then flip back and hit the B-pillar. I unfortunately laughed out loud when I saw the dummies’ legs hit the B-pillar and then pop out the rear windows. The restraints failed to hold the child seats in place at all, and of course there are no safety curtains to fully contain them in the vehicle. It’s funny when it happens to poor people, but the charm is lost when you start imagining real people in the same scenario.

The Aircross didn’t fare any better in the side crash test either. Not only did the heads of the front mannequins hit the side windows, but their bodies appeared to take the full brunt of the energy of the impact vehicle. My neck also hurts from just watching seat belt checks. Hey, Aircross is coming by Elk testhowever. One point for Citroen.

I have never been more grateful for modern security technologies and regulations. Like many enthusiasts, I complain about cars getting bigger and heavier all the time. Now that I’ve been reminded of what can happen when these difficult but vital safety features aren’t in place, I think I’ll end my whining.

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