The European crash testing engineers at NCAP have just released the second quarterly round of crash testing results. Six new cars have been given the top five-star rating, including the new Lexus CT 200h hybrid, the Volvo V60 wagon, the upcoming Ford Focus and the all-electric Nissan LEAF. Other new cars included the Citroen DS4 and the Peugeot 508.
The recently launched Lexus CT 200h (click for full review) was a standout, and proves hybrid technology can be engineered to provide optimum safety. The car was given a ‘stable’ rating for driver and passenger airbag contact, while upper and lower legs, knees and pelvis areas were subject to no intrusion. The accelerator pedal did move 56mm though.
The car’s safety assist programs, such as the stability control activation and operation was rated at 86 percent, while pedestrian safety was rated at 55 percent. Child safety was rated highly, offering ‘protected’ head containment and forward movement in both 18-month and three-year-old tests. Chest load for the three-year-old child test was rated as ‘fair’. Overall, adult occupant safety was rated at 94 percent and child occupants 84 percent.
Understandably, Volvo’s new Volvo V60 (the wagon version of the stylish S60, click for full review) was highly rated in almost every area. It was rated as ‘protected’ in head forward movement and head containment for both 18-month and three-year-old child tests, and ‘good’ for chest loads on both 18-month and three-year-old tests. Overall, it was marked at 94 percent for adult occupants, 82 percent for child occupants, 64 percent for pedestrian safety, and a full 100 percent for the safety assist programs.
Nissan’s all-electric Nissan LEAF was an interesting inclusion into the five-star car list. It was recently introduced in Europe. The EV offered ‘good’ protection child occupants, receiving 83 percent overall. There were a number of movements inside the car, 72mm rearward pedal movement, 12mm upward pedal movement and 21mm windscreen rearward pillar movement. It didn’t stop the car receiving 89 percent overall for adult occupants, 65 percent for pedestrian safety. The safety assist programs were given 84 percent.
The new Ford Focus, (arriving in Australia in August) was rated 92 percent for adult occupant safety, 82 percent for child safety, 72 percent for pedestrian safety and 71 percent for its safety assist programs. It offered adequate protection to the pelvis and ‘good’ for all other body areas in the side barrier test. The standout result for the new Focus was the pedestrian safety though. It was marked at 72 percent, the highest out of these six new cars.
Both the Peugeot 508 (arriving in Australia mid-2011) and Citroen DS4 (not sold in Australia) were marked 90 percent for adult occupant safety, 87 percent and 80 percent, respectively, for child safety, 41 percent and 43 percent for pedestrian safety and 97 percent for their safety assist programs.
