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The AA was a founder member of Euro NCAP in 1997
When Euro NCAP started in 1997 it published two star ratings for each car – an adult occupant protection rating based on frontal and side impact tests, and a pedestrian protection ratin
Initially the maximum award for each was four stars though this was increased to five stars for adult occupant protectection after a few years to recognise improvements in car design.
In November Euro NCAP published results for fourteen new cars.
Six achieved four stars: two Chinese newcomers, Geely Emgrand EC7 and MG6, and the Fiat Panda, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jaguar XF and the Renault Fluence ZE.
The Chevrolet Malibu, Kia Rio, Mercedes-Benz B-Class and C-Class Coupe, the Ranger Rover Evoque, Subaru XV, VW Beetle and VW up! were all awarded the top safety rating of five stars.
The VW up!’s five star rating applies to the structurally identical SEAT Mii and Skoda Citigo.
Four star ratings for the MG6 and Geely Emgrand EC7 underline the manufacturers’ desire to improve the safety record of Chinese brands in Europe.
The four star rating for the all-electric Renault Fluence ZE puts it on a par with the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, but behind other electric vehicles such as the Nissan LEAF and Opel Ampera tested earlier in the year.
Ford is rewarded for its Driver Alert and Forward Alert systems on the Focus, making the car the first that offers 4 rewarded technologies.
Mercedes-Benz is rewarded for Attention Assist and Collision Prevention Assist, Vauxhall for Adaptive Forward Lighting and Volkswagen for City Emergency Braking.
The Subaru XV is the first model rewarded by Euro NCAP with a fully automatic passenger airbag activation system. The front passenger airbag is only activated when an occupant of a suitable size is detected in the seat, effectively minimizing the risk for younger children seated on that position.
This month’s top scorers with five stars are the Audi Q3, BMW 1 series, Chevrolet Captiva, Fiat Freemont, Ford Ranger, Hyundai Veloster, Mercedes M-Class, Vauxhall Astra GTC and Vauxhall Zafira Tourer, Lancia Thema and Toyota Yaris. The Lancia Voyager was awarded four stars.
The Ford Ranger is the first pickup to achieve a five star rating. This third generation model marks a significant improvement over the 2 star adult occupant rating of the previous Ranger in 2008.
With a softer and well-engineered front end, absorbing the impact energy and better protecting pedestrians the Ranger’s 81% pedestrian score is the highest score recorded for pick-ups tested by Euro NCAP so far and sets a new standard.
Other vehicles that obtained good scores for pedestrian protection include the BMW 1 Series, the Mercedes M-Class and the Toyota Yaris, all scoring more than 60% of available points.
From 2012 a 60% pedestrian protection score will be the minimum required for an overall five star rating from 2012 onwards.
The BMW 1 Series is fitted with the Assist Advanced eCall, an automatic emergency call system rewarded under Euro NCAP Advanced.
The Fiat Freemont, the Mercedes M-Class, the Lancia Thema and Voyager are equipped with active bonnets to improve pedestrian protection. Sensors detect when a pedestrian has been struck and actuators lift the bonnet to provide greater clearance to hard structures underneath.
In August Euro NCAP released 5-star ratings for the Audi A6, BMW X3, Chevrolet Aveo and Orlando, Citroën DS5, Hyundai i40, Vauxhall Ampera, Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet and Jetta.
The Kia Picanto received an overall rating of 4 stars.
The Vauxhall Ampera acheived maximum points in the side pole test as a result of a well optimized balance of structure, interior and restraint system.
The Chevrolet Aveo and Orlando achieved good whiplash and adult occupant protection scores - the previous Aveo made headlines with a poor 'struck-through two star' adult occupant result.
Pedestrian protection scores are generally still lagging behind. The Opel Ampera, Audi A6 and Citroën DS5 only just meet Euro NCAP's 2011 pedestrian requirements for a 5 star rating but none of the cars in this release would meet the more stringent requirement for a 5-star award coming into effect from January 2012.
A few car makers have already stepped up, showing much higher pedestrian scores such as the recently tested Ford Focus.
Important advanced safety systems are being offered on more and more models too. Citroën's DS5 is fitted with the Citroën Localized Emergency Call, a PSA Peugeot-Citroën technology recognised in 2010 under Euro NCAP Advanced. The new medium-sized SUV BMW X3 comes with eCall, a system that can automatically notify emergency services in the event of a crash.
As well as these overall safety ratings Euro NCAP made an Advanced award to the Mazda Rear Vehicle Monitoring System available on the Mazda 3 tested in 2009. This technology detects and warns the driver of an approaching vehicle and helps to avoid common lane change related crashes involving two or more vehicles.
Nissan LEAF
The all-electric Nissan LEAF became the first of its kind to score a five-star rating in the latest set of crash test results released by Euro NCAP, proving that electric cars can be just as safe as petrol/diesel cars.
The latest generation Ford Focus also scored a five-star rating as well as winning recognition for two of its active safety and driver assistance systems – Active City Stop and Lane Keeping Aid.
Volvo's V60 also bagged five-stars and scored 100% in the 'safety assist' category thanks to standard-fit ESC (electronic stability control), seatbelt reminder and a driver-set speed limitation device. The car also has Volvo's City Safety system fitted which was recently rewarded under Euro NCAP Advanced.
Peugeot's new 508, Citroen's DS4 and the Lexus CT200h also achieved a five-star rating.
The 508 did particularly well in the rear-end/whiplash injury test while both the 508 and DS4 had relatively poor scores in pedestrian protection – close to the lower limit currently set by Euro NCAP for a five-star rating.
Euro NCAP will make it more difficult to score an overall five-star rating from 2012 by raising the bar on the level of pedestrian protection required.
Euro NCAP published the results of seven new vehicles, including its first test of a fully electric car.
The four-star rating for the Mitsubishi i-MiEV shows that safety does not need to be compromised in zero-emissions vehicles. The i-MiEV shares its rating with its twin models, the Citroen C-Zero and Peugeot iOn, which have the same design and safety equipment.
Plug-in electric vehicles are tested with live batteries and the cars are exposed to the same test conditions as the other cars in the programme. Special attention is given to post-crash battery integrity and the proper functioning of the battery cut-off switch that isolates the high-voltage battery in the event of a crash.
Extra safety precautions are taken before, during and after the crash tests which can only be performed at laboratories with specially-trained personnel. Extra fire-fighting measures are taken to ensure the safety of laboratory personnel and equipment but no electrical or fire hazards were detected during the testing of the i-MiEV.
Other ratings published this month were for the Dacia Duster, which with an overall rating of three stars, failed to impress Euro NCAP. In contrast, the Mitsubishi ASX and the Nissan Juke achieved five-star ratings.
Five stars were also awarded to the Hyundai ix20, twin of the KIA Venga tested in 2010. Both cars have identical safety equipments and interior fittings and are expected to perform identically.
The Lane Departure Prevention (LDP) system, available on the Infinity FX tested in 2009 received a Euro NCAP Advanced reward. LDP is a camera-based technology that helps drivers return the vehicle to its travelling lane when an unintentional lane departure is likely.
Euro NCAP released crash test results for fourteen cars, including the first Chinese-manufactured vehicle it has tested. Ten cars achieved a maximum five stars, three received four stars and one received a two star result.
In comparison to competitive vehicles in this segment, the Chinese Landwind CV9 remains poorly equipped, lacking a side protection airbag, a head protection device and electronic stability control.
The car was limited to a two star rating by its overall performance although it came close to meeting the three-star threshold for adult occupant protection.
It's clear that vehicles from China, India and other emerging countries will become commonplace on European roads. By highlighting differences in safety performance Euro NCAP is helping to drive the safety of all cars towards and beyond the high levels we see from more established manufacturers.
The Kia Venga has been reassessed shortly after its market introduction and has been awarded five stars.
The Nissan Micra was awarded four stars as, surprisingly, was the Jaguar XF – its rating limited by adult and child occupant protection.
The Volkswagen Amarok received four stars and is the pickup offering best pedestrian protection.
The Volkwagen Sharan and the new SEAT Alhambra (with exactly the same platform, interior fittings and levels of safety equipment) were both awarded five stars, as were the Audi A1, the BMW Mini Countryman, the Ford C-MAX and Ford Grand C-MAX, the Kia Sportage, the Vauxhall Meriva and the facelifted Volkswagen Passat.
Euro NCAP's 'Advanced' award
At this year's Paris Motorshow Euro NCAP launched 'Advanced', the latest initiative from the new car crash test group as they respond to the rapid development of new car safety technologies for which there is no independent assessment.
'Advanced' is open to any technical system that has a proven safety benefit, whether it helps prevent crashes, reduce injuries speed up the authorities' response to an incident. Systems must be available as an option on one of the Euro NCAP tested cars and not already addressed by the current star rating.
Euro NCAP's standard safety rating for new car models consists of an independent verification of a car by Euro NCAP based on crash tests and published protocols.
In contrast to Euro NCAP's normal safety assessment based on whole-vehicle crash tests, the 'Advanced' assessment is based entirely on a review of data provided by the car manufacturer. Data is analysed by a team of experts appointed by Euro NCAP.
Manufacturers must additionally identify what the safety impact of their technology may be in European countries, taking into consideration the different infrastructure, jurisdictions and driver behaviours.
Most of the first group of systems rewarded at the Paris Motor Show were developed a few years ago and have been in the marketplace for at least a year or two.
In the future, Euro NCAP Advanced will be able to use the methodology to assess completely new technologies, tackling areas of safety which have not yet been addressed.
The first safety systems rewarded by Euro NCAP Advanced are:
(updated 31 January 2012)
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