Safest cars in the Philippines for near or under ₱1 million - ASEAN NCAP

Safety is one of the key categories you must look out for when buying a car. It is the one aspect of a vehicle that you shouldn’t skip out on, and you need to prioritize not only for yourself but for the safety of your passengers.

We have created a quick list of vehicles under the ₱1 million price with high safety ratings from the ASEAN NCAP. Note that to make it onto this list, the cars must have, at minimum, a 3-star crash safety. The list also includes vehicles from other markets similar in specifications to those locally available. We will only consider cars with crash tests from 2017 to 2020 and 2020 to 2023. 

Toyota Wigo (Perodua Axia) (4-star)

First, we have the 2024 Toyota Wigo or, in this case, the Perodua Axia, its mechanical twin. Below are the retested figures for the small hatchback.

The small hatchback was tested in 2023 with the new, more stringent regulations and got a 4-star ASEAN NCAP rating. As standard, the Wigo/Axia has two airbags, with a six-airbag model available as the top-spec variant. 

As for its key categories, the Toyota Wigo was able to score the following:

Adult Occupant Protection: 32.06
Child Occupant Protection: 17.03
Safety Assist: 15.71
Motorcyclist safety: 8.75
Total Score: 73.55

It got a 4-star rating thanks to the addition of safety features such as Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) City, AEB Inter-Urban, AEB Pedestrian, Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), Blind Spot Detection (BSD, and Auto High Beam.

It got a total score of 73.55/100, giving it a 4-star rating. To achieve a 5-star rating, a vehicle must have an overall score of 80 points or higher. 

Pricing is not yet out for the Toyota Wigo; however, reports indicate the top trim will be priced well below  ₱1,000,000.

Toyota Avanza 1.3 MT (Daihatsu Xenia) (3-Star)

Next, we have another Toyota, the Avanza, with a 1.3-liter engine. Note that the ASEAN NCAP testing used Daihatsu Xenia 1.3 MT, which is similar in specifications to what you get in the Philippines for the Toyota Avanza 1.3 E MT, priced at ₱948,000.

As standard, the MPV comes equipped with dual airbags, ABS with EBD, which are the norm for the Philippine market.

The 7-seater MPV could only get a 3-star safety rating due to its poor performance in the Motorcycle safety category. It otherwise performed well in the other categories. Below are the breakdowns of its scores. 

Adult Occupant Protection: 32.63
Child Occupant Protection: 14.37
Safety Assist: 10.00
Motorcyclist safety: 7.50
Total Score: 64.50

Unfortunately, for the Avanza 1.3 MT, it was not able to meet the minimum requirement to get a 4-star rating which is a score of 70 or higher.

Suzuki Swift (4-star)

The Suzuki Swift enters the list with a price point of ₱972,000. However, the ASEAN NCAP testing results for the hatchback are from 2018, when the organization had a different set of safety protocols. Despite this, its safety rating still applies today as not much has changed with the hatchback for the Philippine market. 

The Suzuki hatchback was able to score a 4-star rating when it was tested back in September 2018. Below is the breakdown of its scores. Just so you know, for 2018, only three significant categories were considered.

Adult Occupant Protection: 38.46
Child Occupant Protection: 19.95
Safety Assist: 12.64
Total Score: 71.05

The Swift scores well thanks to its standard fitment of ABS for all its variants and dual front airbags. However, the hatchback would have scored higher if all models had made the electronic stability control feature standard. 

Regardless, Suzuki Swift scored 71.05, which garnered a 4-star rating. 

Toyota Vios (5-star)

The Toyota Vios also makes it onto the list as it is priced below the  ₱1 million (₱706,000 to ₱1,005,000) mark if you don’t include the GR-Sport model. Note that the crash test for the sedan was done in 2017 with similar testing protocols to the Suzuki Swift. It means that there is no Motorcyclist Safety category for its crash test as its crash testing was done in 2018.

Note that these results still do not cover the all-new Vios; they only represent the Philippine version of the sedan.

As one of Toyota Philippines’ popular vehicles, the Vios got a 5-star rating. Below are its scores:

Adult Occupant Protection: 41.52
Child Occupant Protection: 21.66
Safety Assist: 17.24
Total Score: 80.41

It got a high score thanks to its active safety features, which are seatbelt reminders and the addition of electronic stability control, which is standard in all variants. Thanks to these additions, the Vios qualified for a 5-star rating with its final score of 80.41.

Suzuki Ertiga (4-star)

We have another MPV on the list; this time, it's the Suzuki Ertiga with its crash test from August 2019. While it isn’t the hybrid model currently available in the Philippine market, its safety equipment is the same. Like the other vehicles tested from 2017 to 2020, it has a different set of testing protocols that do not include Motorcyclist Safety. The safety rating also applies to the GA model, which is priced at ₱954,00.

As for its scores, here is the breakdown below:

Adult Occupant Protection: 35.66
Child Occupant Protection: 18.85
Safety Assist: 10.90
Total Score: 65.41

Thanks to its dual airbags, ABS, seatbelt reminders, and electronic stability control, the Ertiga got this rating. Its affordable pricing shows that the MPV is still an excellent option to consider concerning its safety. 

Honda City (5-star)

We can’t have a list without the Honda City as it is one of the highest-scoring vehicles the ASEAN NCAP tested in 2020. Now that an updated model is entering the Philippines with Honda SENSING as standard, it opens up all vehicle variants to the 5-star rating. It means that even the new entry-level E variant will be included. The E and S variants are priced at ₱975,000 and ₱999,999, just putting them under the ₱1 million price limit. 

Below are its scores per category:
Adult Occupant Protection: 44.83
Child Occupant Protection: 22.82
Safety Assist: 18.89
Total Score: 86.54

It got its 5-star rating thanks to its multiple airbags available as standard, its great crash structure, the inclusion of electronic stability control in all models, and the addition of Honda SENSING. 

What do you think of these cars and their crash test safety ratings?

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