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Euro NCAP Steps Up Standards
Euro NCAP ratings are worn as badges of honour by car manufacturers. Knowing that your new car achieved a ‘5 Star Euro NCAP’ rating certainly has  its appeal. But what exactly does this rating mean? And what are Euro NCAP reporting about the market at the moment?
Established in 1997, Euro NCAP was set up to provide usefully realistic independent safety and performance research on Europe’s most popular cars. It is now backed by seven European Governments, and in their own words, ‘has rapidly become a catalyst for encouraging significant safety improvements to new car design.’
In practise, cars are tested to their limits in both destructive and non-destructive examinations. Star ratings (the ones which we usually encounter in advertising) sum up a number of different areas of interest, such as both adult and child safety, as well as pedestrian safety.
Results from Euro NCAP’s tests are published quarterly. The most recent results, released this month, were based on tests which included tougher new demands imposed by 2010 safety regulation.
In real terms, increases in standards have pushed up the assessment boundaries in each of Euro NCAP’s categories. Adult and child occupant protection, for example, needs to reach 80% rather than 75% for a five star rating, and pedestrian protection standards have risen even more sharply from 25% to 40%.
As a result, only one of the five cars assessed this month achieved that sought-after five star rating. Toyota’s Verso achieved an 89% score in adult safety, and performed highly in all the other categories. Particularly praised was it’s ‘worthy 69% in pedestrian protection’; an area often overlooked and ignored.
Failing to impress this time is Citroen’s Nemo, which achieved just three stars. The Nemo scored just 59% for adult protection, and only 29% for safety assist (which includes features such as electronic stability control and speed limitation devices.) Attempting to explain such shortcomings, Euro NCAP suggested that the Nemo could be an example of manufacturers adapting their commercial vehicles for the family wagon formula but neglecting to step-up safety features according to this new use. Two of the Nemo’s major problems were its poor whiplash performance caused by the seat design and the lack of curtain airbags as standard.
Four stars were offered to the Kia Venga, Nissan Cube and Seat Exeo, the latter performing particularly well in its child safety, scoring 81%.
However, the Kia Venga in particular was not without its flaws. A problem was found with the driver seat best which was partially cut by the lower seat rail in a frontal crash test. Clearly, this could be a particularly dangerous fault should any real accident occur.
Responding quickly to the findings, Kia has produced a polypropylene sleeve which slots over the belt, effectively solving the problem. Kia have asked their Venga drivers to contact their dealer to arrange for this new safety modification to be fitted. Secretary general of Euro NCAP, Dr Michiel van Ratingen, further added: ‘Customers must ensure that the modification is fitted, so that the four star rating applies.’
More than just a badge of honour, then, Euro NCAP’s tests and results can be an excellent tool for consumers to assess the safety credentials of popular cars therefore saving on their car insurance, but also provide manufacturers with a watchdog to keep their standards high.
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