Latest Euro NCAP results revealed

JackB wrote:

We need a system that would reflect differences between all cars on sale today.

Very true... which is why there need to be more tests.

Although the ratings do provide a good idea about the cars' safety, the current ratings of Euro NCAP and other organizations are only relevant if the car crashes against a car which is exactly the same as it (same wheels, same weight (i.e. same passenger and cargo weight too...), same engine, same height...). In reality, the chances of hitting exactly the same car are quite small.

IMO, Euro NCAP should introduce at least two new tests: IMO the most important one, a frontal impact that occurs at a higher speed. This tests the ability of the car to withstand high forces. You need to remember that the most important factors in a crash, to have a good idea to determine which car comes better off, are: strength of the two vehicles' structures, speed, weight, height and how well the passive systems (mainly seatbelts and airbags) work within the whole system.

The Audi Q7 and Fiat 500 test is ideal to discuss this: although the speed of the vehicles in the test was the same as NCAP tests, and the strength of the structure of the Audi is nothing spectacular, the Audi was much heavier (larger momentum, which means that the Fiat had to stop and move backwards in the direction of the Q7 - huge deceleration for the 500, while the Q7 only slowed down) and was higher (stiffer parts of the Audi hit the softer parts, such as the bonnet, of the 500...putting even more severe stresses on the 500's structure); the result was clearly that the 500 just couldn't cope with the extra forces involved.

A test crashing cars at higher speeds would put the car's structure to the ultimate test, and the car makers which are designing their cars to only perform specifically well in NCAP tests will be caught out. For instance, the Toyota Avensis clearly doesn't have a strong structure even though it got 5 stars; in the NCAP test, the A-pillar bended significantly showing that the car didn't channel its forces properly and pretty much had reached its limit; in a crash with a heavier or higher vehicle, or at higher speeds, it would become pretty much mincemeat no matter how many airbags it has. On the other hand, the Ford Mondeo and especially the Smart Fortwo and Mercedes C-Class have very strong structures (absolutely no bending of A-pillars in NCAP tests and not even the windscreens broke, showing that they have very stiff safety cells and are capable of channelling the forces properly).

Another test would be for rear-end crashes. It's all well and good that they're doing whiplash tests...but what would really happen in reality? Would the structure be able to withstand the impact and protect the occupants, especially like someone said in 7-seat vehicles (which have little to no distance between the rearmost seats and the bootlid)? Would an airbag, like the iQ's, be sufficient?

I would also have suggested a rollover test, but the IIHS has already started testing cars for roof safety...with some interesting results.

I am also curious to see how they will test, and how they will rate, the advanced active safety systems...