All four cars tested in the most recent Euro NCAP tests have been awarded the coveted five star rating.
Euro NCAP said that each car tested – the BMW 3-series, Hyundai i30, Mazda CX-5 and Peugeot 208 – scored particularly highly in pedestrian protection, an area that NCAP has made more stringent since the beginning of 2012.
The BMW 3-series was the test’s top scorer with 78 per cent in pedestrian protection, while the Peugeot 208, Mazda CX-5 and Hyundai i30 achieved 61 per cent, 64 per cent and 67 per cent respectively.
In NCAP’s side barrier and pole test, the CX-5 was the only car to score maximum points. The Hyundai i30 fared worst revealing weak chest protection. During rear impact (whiplash) testing, the Peugeot 208 gave adequate protection, with the remaining three cars deemed to offer good protection.
On June 13, Euro NCAP will reveal its next phase of testing, including tests for autonomous emergency braking systems (AEBs), as fitted to the Mazda CX-5 and BMW 3-series.
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I think the test should be
I think the test should be extended to 10 stars, no one will get it in the first few years and manufacturers will say its imposible, but thats what they said 10 years ago, then the renault laguna got 5 and set the boundrys.
But how safe is the driver?
I can't help feeling this has all got a bit out of perspective.
The car manufacturers have must have spent billions ensuring their products score highly in these tests - and developing other safety systems way beyond legislative requirements. But the sole requirement for the driver (who has the biggest impact on on a car's real world safety) is that he or she must have passed a driving test at some point in their life.
I'd argue that it is now almost irrelevant how car A compares with car B in the Euro NCAP test when how it is driven is what really matters. We each have a responsibility to drive safely - it really isn't enough to defer the matter to the car makers.
LP in Brighton wrote:I'd
That's true, but only up to a point. Accidents unfortunately do happen and it's not always down to driver error - for example mechanical failure on a vehicle driven on a motorway could be catastrophic but would not be the driver's fault even if he or she were driving very safely at the time. Accidents will always happen and for various reasons, therefore it is right that manufacturers should do all they can to ensure that occupants will survive through proper and tough crash protection.
LP in Brighton wrote: I'd
Problem is I can only control how I drive, not how the drunk/drugged/distracted driver coming the other way will behave.
The thing with the EuroNCAP tests is that it is important to look at the detailed reports and not just the star ratings when comparing cars. The problem is I doubt most buyers get past the star ratings.
Unless its a 4* Jaguar!
Unless its a 4* Jaguar!