Seven of the 11 cars involved in the latest Euro NCAP crash tests scored the maximum five stars for occupant safety, the first time most of the the cars tested have reached the top score. At the other end of the scale, the Fiat Doblo scored three stars.
Both roadsters tested scored four stars: the BMW Z4 only just missed out on a fifth, but the new Vauxhall Tigra was very nearly a three-star car due to the danger of serious knee injuries from the steering column and fascia. The Honda Jazz supermini was the other car to narrowly miss out on a five-star score.
However, adequate pedestrian protection continues to be a problem, with Honda’s Jazz and VW’s Golf the only cars to attain three of the four available stars.
The cars scoring worst in pedestrian impacts were the new Vauxhall Astra, Fiat Doblo and Saab 9-3 Convertible. They each scored a dismal single star and Euro NCAP singled them out for criticism. Euro NCAP said it ‘urges’ Vauxhall and Fiat, in particular, to take pedestrian safety more seriously, especially given that the Astra is an all-new design.
How they performed
BMW Z4 4 stars
Fiat Doblo 3 stars
Honda Jazz 4 stars
Peugeot 407 5 stars
Renault Megane CC 5 stars
Saab 9-3 Convertible 5 stars
Toyota Prius 5 stars
Vauxhall Astra 5 stars
Vauxhall Tigra 5 stars
VW Golf 5 stars
Volvo S40 5 stars
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