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Strong showing for small cars in Euro NCAP crash tests

Strong showing for small cars in Euro NCAP crash tests

Kenneth Hall August 29th, 2007 Kenneth Hall By Kenneth Hall Author August 29th, 2007
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December 31st, 1969 In its latest round of testing, Europe’s Euro NCAP testing body crash tested four newly launched models with all of them showing excellent results. The cars included the Fiat 500 and Renault Twingo superminis as well as the Kia Cee'd and new Peugeot 308 hatches. The stylish 500 mini managed a five star safety rating for adult occupant protection but only a three star rating for child protection. Pedestrian safety fared the worse, with the supermini only scoring two stars out of the possible five star rating. Renualt’s Twingo scored just four stars in the adult protection test and child occupant protection couldn’t be tested because the car is simply too small to fit child restraints in the back. Kia’s Cee'd made a strong showing, also scoring five stars in the adult protection tests – the first time a Kia has achieved top marks. Peugeot’s 308 did even better, scoring extra marks in the pedestrian safety tests. Small cars and the even smaller minicars have come a long way in terms of safety, and these latest tests prove the cars are not the deathtraps they’re often perceived to be.
Strong showing for small cars in Euro NCAP crash tests

Strong showing for small cars in Euro NCAP crash tests

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In its latest round of testing, Europe’s Euro NCAP testing body crash tested four newly launched models with all of them showing excellent results. The cars included the Fiat 500 and Renault Twingo superminis as well as the Kia Cee'd and new Peugeot 308 hatches.

The stylish 500 mini managed a five star safety rating for adult occupant protection but only a three star rating for child protection. Pedestrian safety fared the worse, with the supermini only scoring two stars out of the possible five star rating. Renualt’s Twingo scored just four stars in the adult protection test and child occupant protection couldn’t be tested because the car is simply too small to fit child restraints in the back.

Kia’s Cee'd made a strong showing, also scoring five stars in the adult protection tests – the first time a Kia has achieved top marks. Peugeot’s 308 did even better, scoring extra marks in the pedestrian safety tests.

Small cars and the even smaller minicars have come a long way in terms of safety, and these latest tests prove the cars are not the deathtraps they’re often perceived to be.

Tags: Safety

Posted in: News


Comments (3 total)

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  1. By Gus #1, Posted: 8/29/2007

    They are still death-traps if they are hit by a vehicle with much more mass.
    It's not just crush injuries that kill. When these cars are tested, they are tested against a barrier, which means they are tested only against themselves.
    If a vehicle with 2-3x the mass hits one evenly, the occupants of the smaller vehicle will not only be decelerated, but then accelerated backwards, causing huge injury to the brain and internal organs. I'm surprised that this sort of thing is never mentioned...

  2. By mc #2, Posted: 8/29/2007

    On the EuroNcap site it is mentioned that we should never compare two cars in a completly different class (to big difference in mass between the vehicles to predict what will hapen if they will crash into eachother).

  3. By NaBUru38 #3, Posted: 8/30/2007

    The Fiat 500 beats the Mini as the shortest car to be awarded five stars for adult occupant protection. Counting cars under 3800mm long, it matches the Toyota Yaris and is only beaten by the Peugeot 1007.

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