Chevy Groove Gets Zero-Star Rating In Latin NCAP Crash Tests: Video

The Chevy Groove, a small crossover produced in China and sold in international markets, has received the lowest possible score in a recent safety test. The Latin NCAP (New Car Assessment Program) conducted frontal impact, side impact, whiplash, pedestrian protection, and electronic stability control testing on the Groove and gave it an overall score of zero stars.

More specifically, the Chevy Groove scores 39.42 percent in the Adult Occupant safety category, 68.57 percent in the Child Occupant category, 36.37 percent in Pedestrian Protection and Vulnerable Road Users, and 58.14 percent in the Safety Assist criteria. The higher the number, the better the score.

Conversely, the Volkswagen T-Cross, one of the top rivals of the Chevy Groove in Latin America, got a five-star score and achieved over 80 percent in all but one category. Part of the reason for the gap in scores is the T-Cross has six standard airbags, including side curtains, while the Groove only has four front airbags with no side curtains.

“Chevrolet disappoints with the Groove negatively standing out of the manufacturer’s policy of offering 6 airbags as standard and good safety performance,” Latin NCAP Secretary General Alejandro Furas said in a statement. “We encourage GM to soon come back to its standard of better safety and replace or improve the Groove soon.”

Latin NCAP Chairman Stephan Brodziak condemned GM even more and explicitly urged Latin American drivers not to buy a Chevy Groove because of its poor safety scores.

“We make an urgent call on Chevrolet to address the serious safety deficiencies of the Chevrolet Groove, which received a zero-star safety despite its popularity in Latin America,” Brodziak said. “Latin NCAP tests revealed the unstable structures and marginal protection for adult occupants, alongside poor pedestrian safety and the lack of essential technologies like ADAS. As the best-selling SUV in Chile, its widespread use poses a significant risk to consumers. We urge Chevrolet to prioritize safety by improving structural integrity, enhancing occupant protection, and equipping all versions of the Groove with advanced safety features. We strongly recommend consumers avoid this model until meaningful improvements are made and tested.”

Chevy spokesman Chad Lyons commented on the poor safety score of the Groove in a statement to Motor1: “The Chevrolet Groove comes standard with four airbags (two front and two side), four-wheel Anti-lock Braking System and Electronic Brake force Distribution disc brakes, StabiliTrak stability control, rear camera and seat belt reminder – on par with other cars in the market. The Groove, like all vehicles we produce globally, complies with all government safety regulations in the countries in which they are sold.”

The Chevy Groove is a rebadged version of the Baojun 510 produced by SAIC-GM-Wuling in Liuzhou, Guangxi, China. It’s been a popular model in Latin America since its debut in 2020 and has been exported to the Mexican and Middle Eastern markets since 2021.

The Chevy Groove isn’t sold in the United States and Canada. However, although GM’s North American subcompact crossovers are built to a higher safety standard, the Chevy Trax and Buick Envista recently received subpar safety scores in recently updated crash testing by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).