Euro NCAP reveals 2017’s best-in-class cars for safety

Which are the new cars in each sector that offer the best crash safety?

Euro NCAP's best-in-class cars for safety 2017Volkswagen currently produces some of Europe’s safest new cars with its models leading three of Euro NCAP’s six key categories for crash test safety during 2017.

The safety organisation’s annual ‘best in class’ cars lists the Volkswagen Polo as the safest supermini it tested during 2017, the Volkswagen T-Roc as the safest small off-road SUV, and the Volkswagen Arteon as the safest executive car.

Other victors include the Subaru XV and related Subaru Impreza being labelled safest small family cars, the Vauxhall Crossland X emerging as the safest small MPV, and the Volvo XC60 scooping the safest large off-road SUV honour.

The winners come from a haul of nearly 70 models put through the ever-stricter Euro NCAP crash test safety regime. The organisation says 2017 was its busiest-ever year, meaning the victors in each sector are particularly deserving.

Indeed, add officials, not all car categories are listed in the overall safest cars 2017 rankings because not enough models were tested to give a realistic weighted average. This adds further integrity to the cars listed here, it reckons.

Michiel van Ratingen, the secretary general of Euro NCAP, praised Volkswagen. “To win best-in-class in three different categories is a great achievement and underlines the company’s commitment to providing the highest levels of safety to its customers. 

“Subaru and Vauxhall-Opel are also offering class-leading products while Volvo continues to underline its reputation for safety.  More broadly, though, it is encouraging to see so many new cars performing so well in all areas of safety, and being equipped with greater and greater levels of life-saving technology.”

Assessments are made across four areas: Adult Occupant, Child Occupant, Pedestrian and Safety Assist. There’s no swaying the results with extra safety equipment, either – although some cars come with optional safety kit, only cars in their base guise are eligible for the ‘best in class’ stamp of approval.

Euro NCAP also points out that, despite its tests becoming ever-stricter every year, most of the new cars it tested in 2017 achieved a full five-star rating. To prove just how much car makers have improved vehicle safety in recent years, it adds that older, facelifted models generally performed much less well, particularly in the area of driver assistance tech.

Euro NCAP 2017 safety test: the best-in-class cars

  • Supermini: Volkswagen Polo
  • Small family car: Subaru Impreza and Subaru XV
  • Executive car: Volkswagen Arteon
  • Small MPV: Vauxhall Crossland X
  • Small SUV: Volkswagen T-Roc
  • Large SUV: Volvo XC60

Euro NCAP 2017 crash tests: in numbers

  • 82% of cars were offered with pedestrian-detecting autonomous emergency braking
  • 62% of cars had autonomous emergency braking as standard
  • 92% of cars offered speed assistance
  • 82% of cars had speed assistance as standard
  • 96% of cars had two or more seats compatible with i-Size child restraints
  • 94% of cars had standard rear seat load limiters and belt tensioners

More car safety news: 

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Richard Aucock
Richard Aucockhttps://www.richardaucock.co.uk/
Richard is director at Motoring Research. He has been with us since 2001, and has been a motoring journalist even longer. He won the IMCO Motoring Writer of the Future Award in 1996 and the acclaimed Sir William Lyons Award in 1998. Both awards are run by the Guild of Motoring Writers and Richard is currently vice chair of the world's largest organisation for automotive media professionals. Richard is also a juror and Steering Committee director for World Car Awards and the UK juror for the AUTOBEST awards.

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