Automotive

Corolla collision shows they don't make 'em like they used to, and that's a good thing

Corolla collision shows they don't make 'em like they used to, and that's a good thing
Two Corollas go head-to-head in the ANCAP testing center
Two Corollas go head-to-head in the ANCAP testing center 
View 28 Images
The two Corollas were crashed at 64 km/h
1/28
The two Corollas were crashed at 64 km/h 
The modern car stood up very well when crashed into its 1998 counterpart
2/28
The modern car stood up very well when crashed into its 1998 counterpart 
Two classic Corollas were crashed, but we know which one we'd rather be driving
3/28
Two classic Corollas were crashed, but we know which one we'd rather be driving 
The new Corolla has seven airbags
4/28
The new Corolla has seven airbags
A moment of calm before the storm in the ANCAP testing center
5/28
A moment of calm before the storm in the ANCAP testing center
The new Corolla goes head-to-head with its classic counterpart
6/28
The new Corolla goes head-to-head with its classic counterpart 
ANCAP wants to see more drivers behind the wheel of safer modern cars
7/28
ANCAP wants to see more drivers behind the wheel of safer modern  cars
The structure of the modern Corolla held up much, much better than the classic in the accident
8/28
The structure of the modern Corolla held up much, much better than the classic in the accident 
A look at the cars before they smashed into each other
9/28
A look at the cars before they smashed into each other
The crash test conducted by ANCAP is a frontal offset test
10/28
The crash test conducted by ANCAP is a frontal offset test 
The cabin of the old Corolla deformed significantly
11/28
The cabin of the old Corolla deformed significantly 
The cabin of the new Corolla stays in shape
12/28
The cabin of the new Corolla stays in shape 
The modern Corolla holds its structure much better than its classic counterpart
13/28
The modern Corolla holds its structure much better than its classic counterpart 
A post-mortem of the ANCAP accident from above
14/28
A post-mortem of the ANCAP accident from above 
Old and new sitting face-to-face after the ANCAP accident
15/28
Old and new sitting face-to-face after the ANCAP accident 
Another angle on the ANCAP crash test
16/28
Another angle on the ANCAP crash test
Two Corollas go head-to-head in the ANCAP testing center
17/28
Two Corollas go head-to-head in the ANCAP testing center 
The modern Corolla fared much better than the classic in crash testing
18/28
The modern Corolla fared much better than the classic in crash testing 
Toyota will be happy with the way the new car fared in its crash test
19/28
Toyota will be happy with the way the new car fared in its crash test
The new Corolla after the accident
20/28
The new Corolla after the accident 
The crumpled classic Corolla after the accident
21/28
The crumpled classic Corolla after the accident 
Another look at the classic Corolla after the accident
22/28
Another look at the classic Corolla after the accident 
The new Corolla after the ANCAP crash test
23/28
The new Corolla after the ANCAP crash test 
The old Corolla isn't a pretty sight after the crash
24/28
The old Corolla isn't a pretty sight after the crash
The unlucky crash test dummy slotted in behind the wheel of the old Corolla
25/28
The unlucky crash test dummy slotted in behind the wheel of the old Corolla 
Two pre-crash Corollas sitting side-by-side
26/28
Two pre-crash Corollas sitting side-by-side 
Two pre-crash Corollas sitting side-by-side
27/28
Two pre-crash Corollas sitting side-by-side 
ANCAP gets ready to smash the Corolla
28/28
ANCAP gets ready to smash the Corolla 
View gallery - 28 images

With airbags, crumple zones and active crash avoidance systems, modern cars are much safer than their predecessors. But what does all that progress actually look like when push comes to shove? The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) crashed a 2015 Toyota Corolla into its 1998 forebear to find out.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out how this collision is going to end. The modern car comes with seven airbags and has been designed to meet the latest standards for side, frontal and offset impacts. The classic Corolla has no airbags and doesn't benefit from almost 20 years of advances in materials and design. As a result, it doesn't fare well when meeting its modern counterpart at 64 km/h (40 mph).

"The older car sustained catastrophic structural failure with dummy readings showing an extremely high risk of serious head, chest and leg injury to the driver. It achieved a score of just 0.40 out of 16 points – zero stars," says James Goodwin, ANCAP CEO. "In contrast, the current model performed very well with a five star level of protection offered."

Another look at the classic Corolla after the accident
Another look at the classic Corolla after the accident 

The crash test was performed to encourage people to buy the newest, safest car they can afford. According to research conducted by ANCAP, vehicles built before 2000 are wildly over represented in fatal accidents. Even though they make up just 20 percent of the vehicles on the road in Australia, they account for 33 percent of all people killed in road accidents.

You can check out the crash test below. If you're driving around in a modern car, it's likely to make you appreciate the safety features that come as standard nowadays. And if you own a 1998 Corolla, it might be time to look at upgrading.

ANCAP CAR-TO-CAR CRASH TEST: 1998 Toyota Corolla vs. 2015 Toyota Corolla

Source: ANCAP

View gallery - 28 images
3 comments
3 comments
Renato G.F. Naso
Idiotic crash-tests! Just put the motor >>behind<< the rear axle to make cars safely OVERSTEERING! Rear-engine cars don't need deadly (when malfunctioning!) airbags! Seatbelts are sufficient!!
McDesign
"vehicles built before 2000 are wildly over represented in fatal accidents. Even though they make up just 20 percent of the vehicles on the road in Australia, they account for 33 percent of all people killed in road accidents."
I don't think 1-in-5 cars having 1-in-3 of the accidents is "wildly over-represented". Maybe "moderately".
TomFullery
The other obvious factor here would be young people with less money buy cheaper, older cars and they are the ones most likely to crash.