| March 17, 1999 |
Bongo Friendee wins the highest AAA evaluation rating for its safety
- Excels in the '98 collision performance test by the National Organization for Automotive Safety & Victims' Aid -
Mazda Motor Corporation's Bongo Friendee was given the highest rating-"AAA"-in the passenger injury category evaluation for both driver and front passenger seats as a result of the 1998 front collision safety performance test. AAA shows the extremely low risk of significant injury to both the head and the chest. The test is executed by the National Organization for Automotive Safety & Victims' Aid.
Putting the test car through a frontal collision with a concrete barrier at a speed of 55km per hour, the impact suffered by the dummy is examined in the test. Based on the test results, the organization evaluates the potential risk of serious injury to the head and the chest for those in the driver and passenger seats by six levels; AAA, AA, A, B, C, and D.
Bongo Friendee is equipped with the engine under the front seats, and has adopted 1.3 box style by attaching the front compartment, which enables ample interior space and a safe body structure. In addition, the enriched safety equipment like supplemental restraint system airbags on both the driver's and passenger's seats, contributed to its high collision safety performance.
The Capella wagon and the Familia sedan also performed the front collision safety performance test at this time. Both have also acquired excellent evaluations in the passenger injury evaluation. The capella wagon won AAA for the driver's seat and AA for the passenger seat. The Familia sedan got AA in both driver's and passenger's seats.
The National Organization for Automotive Safety & Victims' Aid is an extra-departmental organization of the Ministry of Transport. The examination result has been announced as "1998 Car safety information" from the organization.
Safety is the elemental requirement for automobiles to support a better life. We at Mazda have worked on the development of our products based on our safety policy---
"For our products, we should employ the best safety technology, which we develop with our thorough research of customers' vehicle usage and transportation environment."
