Results from Euro NCAP's latest round of crash tests have been published. Overall standards keep rising with ten out of the twelve cars earning the full five stars. But next year the tests will become even tougher.
The
Toyota Urban Cruiser only managed a three-star result, which is a surprise given the five-star ratings awarded to the
Avensis,
iQ and
Prius. The low score was mainly attributed to the poor 58% rating for adult occupant protection - much lower than any other car in the group.
Meanwhile the Chevrolet Spark earned a four-star rating, missing out on the fifth star partly because no versions come with Electronic Stability Control as standard. The other Chevrolet tested, the
Cruze, earned five stars and scored 96% for adult occupant protection. Both cars represent a significant improvement on the one-star, strikethrough rating given to the Chevrolet Aveo in 2006.
The Cruze also won praise for the whiplash protection offered by its seats, as did the new Opel/
Vauxhall Astra and the
VW Scirocco. Other features singled out for praise included the driver-controlled speed limiters fitted to the Citroen DS3,
Infiniti FX,
Peugeot 5008 and Mercedes GLK.
BMW's X1 scored the highest for child occupant and pedestrian protection (ideal for the school run?). The
Mercedes E-Class and
Mazda3 were also tested and awarded five stars each.
Euro NCAP expects there to be fewer five-star cars in the next group tested. From 2010 the testing will be even more stringent in order to drive the development of ever safer cars forward.
John Lambert - 27 Nov 2009