Top 5-child-friendly cars in the Philippines

When it comes to buying a child-friendly vehicle, safety ratings are just the tip of the iceberg, there are other things to consider, such as child seat compatibility as well as fun extras that can help keep your child entertained on long trips. With that in mind, here’s a list of vehicles focusing on important categories such as safety and even the fun your child experiences while on the road. It is important to note that there aren’t many vehicles available with rear-seat entertainment as standard, so we’ve considered other factors such as rear air vents and USB charging points. These two features will not only keep your child comfortable but will also keep them entertained by allowing them to use and charge their devices while on a trip with you.

Safety being a top priority, for a vehicle to make it onto this list, it must first have an ASEAN NCAP rating from 2017 or newer, It also needs to have a 5-star safety rating and must have a total score of 40 or more when it comes to the Child Occupant Protection (COP) category. It should also come with ISOFIX tethers or anchor points in order to properly secure a child car seat with ease. It also needs to be currently on sale in the Philippine market.

First on the list is the Honda City. The Japanese subcompact sedan comes well decorated with the ASEAN NCAP, having won multiple awards from the independent company. The City has also consistently scored a 5-star rating throughout its 3rd to 5th generations, making it one of the safest and most consistent vehicles that Honda makes for the automotive market.

It brings to the table an impressive total Child Occupant Protection score of 44.72 out of a possible 49. It did well when it came to the frontal and side-impact scores of the ASEAN NCAP, however, it did lose some points when it came to the child seat installation part of testing despite having ISOFIX tethers.

One thing to note is that the Japanese subcompact sedan does not come with any form of entertainment for the second row, however, it does come with an infotainment system that is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capable, with which the back passengers could use to stream and watch videos. Despite its few shortcomings, the Honda City presents itself as an ideal sedan for those looking for a child-friendly and affordable vehicle. 

Like its sibling the Honda City, the Honda CR-V also does well when it comes to child safety. Taking the form of a crossover, the vehicle comes with a bigger body and higher ground clearance compared to its sedan stablemate. On top of this, the CR-V is available with a frugal diesel engine, making it an ideal choice for those who want more space but also want to be as efficient as possible when it comes to spending on fuel.

When it comes to safety, the Honda CR-V is no slouch as it too comes with a 5-star overall safety rating. Honda Philippines recently gave the vehicle a minor refresh, updating its design to a more sophisticated one, and has even equipped the crossover Honda SENSING safety technology. As for its ASEAN NCAP score, the Japanese crossover was able to get a score of 44.75 out of a possible 49. It is important to note that while the City did well in the frontal and side-impact safety categories, the CR-V received a marginally lower rating in the frontal impact category. Despite, this, the Honda crossover scored better when it came to the installation tests than its subcompact sedan counterpart. This is partly due to its more flexible seating design and easier-to-access ISOFIX tether points. 

While the Honda CR-V does have impressive safety scores there are no rear passenger entertainment options available. It does, however, come with air vents at the back along with two USB ports. These can be used not only to keep your child cool and comfortable but can also serve as charging points for their gadgets. 

One step up and into the SUV category is the Toyota Fortuner. The 7-seater diesel-fed SUV, also scored well when it came to the Child Occupant category as it was able to get a 43.38 out of a possible 49. While the Fortuner does lack passenger entertainment features like a drop-down DVD screen that other competitors have, it does come with rear vents and USB ports to help address the cooling and charging needs of your child and other occupants. 

Breaking down its Child Occupant Protection score reveals that the Fortuner gets an almost perfect rating when it comes to frontal and side-impact protection for child seats. Nevertheless, the SUV did get better scores than its competitors when it comes to its ISOFIX tethers located on its moveable second row. This makes the Toyota Fortuner an ideal vehicle for those looking to get a 7-seater SUV that is both economical and safe for children, thanks to its diesel-powered lineup. Toyota Philippines has even added Toyota Safety Sense into the higher variants of the vehicle making driving easier and safer, thanks to its collision mitigation technology. 

When it comes to entertainment for the rear passengers, the Fortuner comes a little bit short. There are, however, USB ports found in the rear as well as air vents for the rear passengers. This will not only help keep them cool but will also help keep them entertained as their gadgets can be charged while being used. 

Sharing in the same chassis as the Fortuner is its MPV brother the Toyota Innova. Like its SUV counterpart, the Japanese MPV also receives impressive scores when it comes to crash protection. The Innova was able to score 42.17 out of a possible 49 points in the Child Occupant Protection category, making the vehicle one of the safest in its segment according to the ASEAN NCAP.

While the vehicle does not come with blind-spot technology and other advanced safety assist technologies, it does come with accident avoidance technology and effective braking. It is important to note that in its lower trim-levels the MPV does come with 3-airbags equipped, however, in its V trim in the Philippines, 7-airbags are present. Nevertheless, even in its lower variants, the ASEAN NCAP has given the vehicle a 5-star safety rating. 

The Innova does well to protect a child’s car seat in the event of a crash, coming in with perfect scores for the frontal and side-impact tests. Where the MPV struggles a bit is the ease of installation. Despite this, the vehicle is equipped with ISOFIX tethers for all of its variants in the Philippines. 

The Toyota Innova presents itself as an ideal vehicle for those who want a child-friendly car that is both safe and affordable. Thanks to an update by Toyota Philippines the MPV now comes with a sportier design along with an all-diesel lineup. The Japanese brand has also given the vehicle a few minor interior upgrades as well making it easier to use and maneuver for the driver. 

For those looking to get a pickup truck that is also safe for their child, look no further than the Toyota Hilux. The Japanese pickup truck managed to score a 44.04 out of 49, outperforming its same chassis siblings and even its closest rival with a recent ASEAN NCAP score. Similar to its platform brothers, the Hilux performs well when it comes to crash protection for child car seats, however, it does falter a bit with a near-perfect score for frontal-impact protection with a 15.60 out of 16. Where it makes up ground is when it comes to ease of installation, scoring 11.44 out of 12. Great figures especially for an updated vehicle in the Philippines.

Like its other Toyota siblings, there aren’t too many toys at the rear, however ISOFIX tethers are present, making it easier to install or remove child car seats from the vehicle. It does come with a 6.75- or 8-inch infotainment system depending on the variant, that comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. This gives the rear passengers the option to watch videos if the driver chooses to stream them via their phone onto the infotainment system.

The Toyota Hilux brings to the table a flexible pickup truck platform that is backed by great parts availability and by a pair of powerful turbo diesel engines. It presents itself as a vehicle that can be used for the great outdoors, for cargo hauling, and as a family vehicle that is both safe and dependable.