Keep mom and baby safe in these cars
One of the concerns when a couple has a baby is the safety of the car.
POLOKWANE – One of the concerns when a couple has a baby is the safety of the car. Car manufacturers pride themselves on their cars’ safety standards, and Review asks local dealerships which cars are most suitable for mom and baby.
Many parents will have concerns about specifications such as safety and space, but they need not worry as most cars these days are fitted with Isofix.
Isofix is the International Organisation for Standardisation Standard ISO 13216, which specifies the anchoring system for group one child safety seats. It defines standard attachment points to be manufactured into cars, enabling compliant child safety seats to be quickly and safely secured. Isofix is an alternative to securing the seat with seat belts. Seats are secured with a single attachment at the top (top tether) and two attachments at the base of each side of the seat. The full set of anchor points for this system were required in new cars in the United States starting in September 2002, and is today an international trend for new manufactured passenger vehicles.
Ben van Vuuren, the sales manager of Polokwane Multi Franchise, which sells a number of brands such as Daihatsu, Tata, Hyundai and Kia shares advice on models which will be suitable for pregnant women and mothers.
“At Daihatsu, the Terios Diva is ideal. It has sufficient boot space for strollers and any other baby accessories. Safety features like the Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) and six airbags will give mothers peace of mind while driving. The Terios Diva comes standard with DVD headrests to keep the children occupied,” says Van Vuuren.
He says Tata’s Manza is ideal for mothers. It has good boot space, the legroom for the driver and passengers is class leading, it is fuel efficient and well priced.
“In the Hyundai brand, I would suggest the i20 1.4 Glide, which boasts Isofix anchors, ABS, airbags and enough space for a stroller and groceries in the boot. The nippy yet powerful 1.4 engine boasts class leading fuel efficiency. A five-year/150 000km warranty and roadside assistance will give many mothers that extra peace of mind.”
Van Vuuren also recommends the Kia Rio sedan, which comes with ample boot space and legroom for the front and back passengers, is fitted with Isofix and boasts a five-star safety rating.
Audi Polokwane also has various models in its range to satisfy various mothers’ needs.
Tiaan Minnaar, the sales manager at Audi Polokwane says Audi’s SUV models, the Q5 and Q3 are suitable for pregnant women and mothers.
“The smaller Q3 is ideal. It has a very spacious interior which complies with international safety features required, including the new Isofix points,” says Minnaar.
The new Audi A3 sedan range is also an ideal choice, says Minnaar.
He says apart from all the safety features and space, it also boasts a large boot.
The Westvaal Polokwane sales manager of new cars, Hannes Snyman recommends any of the Opel’s OPC high performance models.
“All the Opel models comply with international safety and crash standards. The Mariva SUV is one of the choices to recommend. It is spacious, very safe and fuel efficient,” he says.
Snyman says another model that might attract mothers is the Opel Astra 1.4 turbo sedan, which has a large boot.
“What is ideal is the activation and de-activation of the front passenger airbag once the car seat is fitted to the Isofix mountings. The activation can be done from the driver’s seat with the push of a button,” says Snyman.
BB Polokwane Nissan and BB Polokwane Renault dealer principal, Riaan Smit says the Renault range boasts EuroNCap five-star safety ratings.
“All our range of Nissans also comply to the utmost safety regulations. Airbags and airbag-curtains for side-impacts are to be found in our Nissan passenger cars. An aspect of our Nissan and Renault models which would draw the attention of mothers and mothers-to-be is that all are fitted with the international standard Isofix car seat mountings,” says Smit.
Smit says mothers who are looking for that extra space to store baby accessories should consider models like the new Duster SUV from Renault, the Renault Scenic MPV and Koleos SUV.
He says the all new luxurious Nissan Almera, the all new Sentra and the recently improved Quishqai SUV and X-Trial SUV models also have ample space.
