Not so, said Alejandro Furas, technical director for the Global NCAP crash test programs.

NPR: AP IMPACT: Cars Made In Brazil Are Deadly

"We perform the frontal crash test exactly in the same way as the Euro NCAP, " he said.

NPR: AP IMPACT: Cars Made In Brazil Are Deadly

That car scored one star on the Latin NCAP test, but the model sold in Europe, made by Renault's Romanian subsidiary Dacia, scored three stars.

NPR: AP IMPACT: Cars Made In Brazil Are Deadly

However, NCAP tests found that Fiat's best-selling car in Brazil, called the Novo Uno, had an unstable body structure and scored it just one star.

NPR: AP IMPACT: Cars Made In Brazil Are Deadly

Spokesman Matt Sloustcher said Coda is going for a four- or five-star New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) rating, which it plans to have in place by next year.

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Crash-test footage shows the front of the car folding up like an accordion, giving it a 2.0 point rating, the second lowest of the 28 cars NCAP has examined.

NPR: AP IMPACT: Cars Made In Brazil Are Deadly

The Mexico-produced Nissan March compact sold in Latin America received a two-star rating from Latin NCAP, while the version sold for about the same price in Europe, called the Micra, scored four stars.

NPR: AP IMPACT: Cars Made In Brazil Are Deadly

The Euro NCAP tests are more complete.

NPR: AP IMPACT: Cars Made In Brazil Are Deadly

Latin NCAP has tested three VW models.

NPR: AP IMPACT: Cars Made In Brazil Are Deadly

"The difference is you're talking about somebody dead in the vehicle or dying very quickly, or somebody being able to get out of the vehicle themselves, " said David Ward, director general of the London-based FIA Foundation for auto safety, which supports the Euro and Latin NCAP programs.

NPR: AP IMPACT: Cars Made In Brazil Are Deadly