Euro NCAP has awarded the Cupra Formentor and Polestar 2 five-star safety ratings in its latest round of crash tests.
The Swedish EV was tested in long-range, dual-motor guise and landed ratings of between 80%-92% across the four test categories: Safety Assist, Vulnerable Road Users, Child Occupant and Adult Occupant.
Front-seat occupants of a range of sizes were well protected during the frontal offset test, but the 2 lost marks for being "moderately aggressive" towards other vehicles. It performed strongly in the side barrier test and protection was "at least adequate" in the notoriously harsh side-pole-impact test.
The 2's central airbag, which aims to prevent occupants from impacting each other in the event of a lateral collision, was found to work well in keeping front seat occupants apart during an impact, while whiplash protection for all occupants was good in the event of an impact from the rear.
Cupra's first bespoke model, the Formentor, scored highly in the Adult Occupant and Child Occupant categories but lost marks for its protection of vulnerable road users. Some of the crossover's active safety systems had already been examined on the related Seat Leon.
Penalties were applied for "marginal" protection of the driver's chest in the offset frontal test and the risk to other vehicles in the event of a collision. The Formentor scored top marks in the side-impact tests and, like the 2, demonstrated that its central airbag prevented occupants from crashing into each other.
Euro NCAP also examined the new Renault Arkana, which is due for a UK launch later this year. It matched the five-star test verdict of its Renault Captur sibling, courtesy of its identical body structure and safety kit list.
And the electric version of the Leuxs UX crossover - the UX 300e - has been added to the crash safety report for the entire Lexus UX model line, meaning it too is a five-star car.
Euro NCAP secretary general Michiel van Ratingen said: “We're now a year on from when Covid became a global pandemic, and the car industry has had a torrid 12 months. Sales are down and car makers are having to find ways to cut costs and maximise profits.
"Euro NCAP is here to ensure that safety isn't compromised, and it's rewarding that these two brands should place it high on their agendas. By now, safety is central to manufacturers’ strategies, and they know that it's an area where consumers will not accept a drop in standards.”
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