2010 BMW 5 Series achieves five star Euro NCAP rating

By George Skentzos | June 03rd, 2010

It comes as no surprise that BMW has today announced that the new BMW 5 Series has achieved the full five star safety rating in Euro NCAP crash testing.

The sixth generation BMW 5 Series performed very well across all categories in the testing criteria, and has become the first BMW model series to receive a 100 per cent score in the Safety Assist category for outstanding safety features.

The BMW 5 Series also managed a near perfect 95 per cent in Adult Occupant testing which BMW credits to the integrated safety concept used by the manufacturer in all new models, comprising highly resilient bearer structures and generously sized and precisely defined deformation zones.

This structure allows the forces from a head-on collision to be dissapted through a number of different load paths in the floor assembly, side frame, front wall and roof and absorbed in the deformation zones.

In order to achieve full marks for Safety Assist, the BMW 5 Series had to offer an entire suite of active and passive safety features as standard across the entire range, all controlled by a safety electronics system, including front and pelvis-thorax airbags as well as curtain head airbags for both seat rows.

Along with Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) the BMW 5 Series boasts a Speed Limit Device and belt detection function for all seats as standard equipment, contributing to the 100 per cent rating for safety fittings on the Euro NCAP crash test.

With many modern cars scoring poorly for pedestrian safety, a greater focus on this criteria has seen BMW engineers integrate elaborately modelled body elements featuring yielding structures at the vehicle front and an active bonnet which contributes to the reduction of injury risk in pedestrians and cyclists.

In this area the BMW 5 Series was awarded maximum points for the front bumper and for those elements of the vehicle front section which are relevant to head injuries in children in the event of a collision, boasting an overall score of 78 per cent in pedestrian safety.

The new BMW 5 Series arrives in Australian dealerships this month.

My Cars Called T-Rex

This news is like proclaming,Tommorrow the sun comes up.

JooberGTi

Lol agree, its expected, does caradvice do an article for every single car’s test result out there?
Ricky

This isn’t news, it’s stating the obvious.

Al Juraj

It’s news because the previous model only scored 4 stars when its competitors already did the full 5.

Ryan

Euroncap’s new system is so much more better than the old one which Ancap still uses. Ancap really needs to update to this new system.
Bob

If you look closely, the windscreen doesn’t even crack in the frontal-offset which is not an easy feat to achieve.

Notice also how the Lights flash once airbags deploy – at least it looks that way. That would be a cool feature to help others avoid a crashed car that can no logner safely absorb any further impact.

I’d rather applaud this than knock it T-Rex. Filling a car with airbags does not necessarily make it safe…
Steve-Poyza

Look at how crazy those LED indicators are going at around 0:48. Also, I\’ve never realised how long the bonnet of this car is, it looks great!

Ricky

Long bonnets aren’t that great – they encroach into the legroom of the front passengers. Cars with relatively short bonnets can look great too.

Devil’s Advocate

What does bonnet length have to do with leg space?

Devil’s Advocate

Unless someone is one of those fools who rest their feet up on the dash over the passenger air-bag cover…

Why?

Having sat in the new 5 series at a dealer launch a couple of days ago, I can say there isn’t much front leg room (not saying it’s related to the bonnet length though). The centre idrive/auto console is far too wide (same width as a 7 series) leaving my legs/knees and feet being far from comfortable. Driving position was offset to the right too. I declined the test drive which they offered me. If I couldn’t sit comfortably when the car was stationary, I doubt it would be comfortable when moving.