Features
27 Feb 19

Five Euro NCAP stars a considerably bigger achievement than before

Euro NCAP just published the ratings of three large SUV’s, the Honda CRV, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class and the Seat Tarraco. All three score five stars out of five. Great results, but even more so if you know that these cars are rated using Euro NCAP’s 2019 requirements, which are much tougher than the previous ones.

 

The European New Car Assessment Programme, the full name of Euro NCAP, rates cars on safety, using a series of vehicle tests that represent important real life accident scenarios. The number of stars – of course- reflects how well a car performs in the tests, and is also influenced by the safety equipment that is offered on the car. High ratings not only show good test results but also that safety equipment on the model is readily available in Europe.

 

The safety performance of the cars explained using the Euro NCAP star ratings:

 

 

The Euro NCAP star ratings go beyond the legal requirements. A car that just meets what is legally required would not be eligible for any Euro NCAP stars. This means that poorly rated vehicles are not necessarily unsafe but are not as safe as better rated competitors.

 

The rating system evolves constantly because technology matures and new innovations are becoming available over time. In order to cope with this, the test procedures are regularly updated, in order to better represent the actual situation.

 

That means that a car that has received a five star rating in 2017 is not necessarily as safe as a car that received that same rating in 2019.

 

In 2016, Euro NCAP introduced the Dual Rating system, which allows two star ratings for the same vehicle. The base rating indicates the safety of the vehicle fitted with only the standard safety equipment, and a second rating scores the car equipped with a ‘safety pack’ that is offered as an extra on the car. The meaning of this dual system is to show the safety improvement additional safety equipment can bring.

 

So the latest rating is always the most relevant, knowing that the recent inclusion of emerging crash avoidance technology in the test procedure has significantly changed the meaning of the stars. That is why the results of the three new five star SUV’s are better than older five star ratings.

 

Source and Pictures: Euro NCAP

Authored by: Stijn Blanckaert