Euro NCAP: Five-Star Rating for Audi A4 & Skoda Superb

As anticipated, VW Group’s newest sedan offerings, the Audi A4 and the Skoda Superb achieved a maximum five-star rating for adult occupant protection in Euro NCAP’s latest tests. Both sedans also managed to get four stars (out of five) for child occupant protection while in terms of pedestrian protection, both got a mediocre two out of four stars, something that displeased Euro NCAP officials who reported that no clear progress was seen in Pedestrian Protection despite approaching legislation. -Details and pics after the jump

Euro NCAP Comments:

Audi A4

Front impact: There was negligible distortion of the passenger compartment in the frontal test. Adapative airbags and seatbelts tailor the timing and the degree of restraint to suit the size of the occupant and the severity of the impact. In this case, the both the driver and passenger were well protected.

Side impact: The A4 scored maximum points in the side impact and pole tests.

Child-protection: The A4 scored maximum points for its protection of the 1½ year old infant and the 3 year old child based on dummy responses in the full scale tests. There was no label clearly warning of the dangers of using a rearward-facing child restraint in the front passenger seat but the presence of ISOFIX markings was clearly indicated in the rear outboard seats.

Pedestrian protection: The bumper scored maximum points for its protection of pedestrians' legs but the front edge of the bonnet scored none. The bonnet was rated as predominantly poor for the protection it offered to the head of a struck adult.

Skoda Superb

Front impact: The passenger compartment remained stable in the impact. Dummy readings indicated good protection of the front seat passengers' knees and femurs. Skoda showed Euro NCAP that occupants of different sizes, or those sat in different seating positions, would be equally well protected.

Side impact: The Superb scored maximum points for its performance in the side impact and pole tests.

Child-protection: Based on dummy responses in the dynamic tests, the Superb scored maximum points for its protection of the 1½ year dummy. The passenger airbag can be disabled to allow a rearward facing child restraint to be used in that seating position. However, information provided to the driver regarding the status of the airbag is not sufficiently clear. There was no adequate warning of the dangers of using a rearward facing child restraint without first deactivating the airbag. The presence of ISOFIX and top-tether anchorages in the rear outboard seats was not clearly marked.

Pedestrian protection: The bumper scored maximum points for the protection offered to pedestrians' legs. The bonnet surface provided mostly fair protection in the area where a child's head might hit. However, the bonnet was rated as predominantly poor for the protection offered to an adult's head and the front edge of the bonnet scored no points.

Ford Kuga Achieves 5-Star Rating in Euro NCAP Safety Tests

In the latest phase of Euro NCAP safety tests Ford’s all-new Ford Kuga crossover was awarded with the maximum five stars for adult occupant protection, four stars for child occupant protection and three stars for pedestrian protection. According to Ford, these results place the compact crossover at the top of the table in the Euro NCAP Small Off-road 4x4 group. -Details and pics after the jump

EURO NCAP COMMENTS:

Front impact

The passenger compartment remained stable in the impact. However, there was insufficient pressure in the driver's airbag to prevent the head from bottoming it out and contacting the steering wheel. The knees and femurs of the front seat passengers were well protected. Ford showed that a similar level of protection would be provided for occupants of different sizes or those sat in different positions.

Side impact

The Kuga scored maximum points for its performance in the side impact and pole tests.

Child-protection

Based on dummy responses in the dynamic tests, the Kuga scored maximum points for its protection of the 1½ year dummy. A switch can be fitted by Ford dealers which allows the passenger airbag to be disabled. However, information provided to the driver regarding the status of the airbag is not sufficiently clear. There was no clear warning of the dangers associated with using a rearward facing child restraint in the front passenger seat without first disabling the airbag. The presence of ISOFIX anchorages in the rear outboard seats was not clearly marked.

Pedestrian protection

The bumper scored maximum points for its protection of pedestrians' legs. However, the front edge of the bonnet was rated as predominantly poor, as was the protection offered to the head of a struck adult by the bonnet surface.

2009 Subaru Forester Gets 5-Star Ratings in NHTSA Crash Tests

Subaru today announced that its all-new 2009 Forester has passed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) crash tests with flying colors as it received a maximum five star rating in both the frontal and side-impact crash tests for all seating positions.

“Subaru customers have come to expect the highest level of safety in their vehicles,” said Thomas J. Doll, Executive Vice President, Subaru of America, Inc. “The Subaru Forester continues to deliver the highest levels of occupant safety as evidenced by its recent five star performance in the NHTSA NCAP tests.” -Video after the jump

EuroNCAP: Improved Nissan Navara Pick-Up Gets 3-Star Rating

Today, Euro NCAP released the results for its assessment of the modified Navara which managed to achieve an acceptable three star rating for adult occupant protection. In Euro NCAP’s initial tests, the Navara was awarded a pitiful one-star rating for adult occupant protection partially due to the delayed firing of the airbag in the frontal impact test. Nissan reacted by developing new airbag software to ensure better occupant protection. Production Navaras are now equipped with the improved software and an extensive Service Campaign is underway to upgrade owners’ vehicles produced since 2005.

Moreover, in these new tests, the Navara’s Child Occupant Protection rating has also been improved to four stars due to the additional consumer information Nissan has made available.

Euro NCAP: Citroen C5 Scores 5 Stars, BMW X3, Suzuki Splash, Daihatsu Terios, & Renault Kangoo get 4 Stars

Along with the first crash test ratings on pick-up trucks (see here), Euro NCAP today also issued the results for the Suzuki Splash, Daihatsu Terios, Renault Kangoo, Citroën C5 and the BMW X3. From these models, the Citroën C5 was the only car that managed to obtain a perfect five star rating in adult occupant protection with the Suzuki Splash, Renault Kangoo, BMW X3 and Daihatsu Terios all scoring four stars. -Continued

Euro NCAP Crash Tests Pick-Up Trucks: Results Disappoint

The European equivalent of the American NHTSA in terms of crash tests, Euro NCAP, revealed today the results for three pick-up trucks, the Nissan Navara, the Isuzu D-MAX/Rodeo and the Mitsubishi L200. It’s the first time that Euro NCAP has performed crash tests in this specific vehicle category. Surprisingly, Euro NCAP notes in an official statement it released that the crash tests reveal that the safety of vehicles in this category is not a high priority for some carmakers.

Both the Nissan Navara and the Isuzu D-MAX/Rodeo received poor scores in Euro NCAP’s adult occupant rating. In particular, Nissan’s Navara achieved an extremely poor rating of a one star strikethrough while the Isuzu D-MAX/Rodeo also received a disappointing two star strikethrough rating in adult occupant protection with an unacceptably high risk of life-threatening injury to the chest region. -Continued

The best of all the pick-ups tested by Euro NCAP was the Mitsubishi L200, which received a respectable four star result in adult occupant protection. All the vehicles received disappointing child and pedestrian protection scores.

EuroNCAP: Mercedes C-Class, Renault Laguna & Volvo V70 Score 5-Star Rating

In EuroNCAP’s latest bath of results, the new Mercedes C-Class, Renault Laguna and Volvo V70 models all scored a 5-star rating for adult passenger protection. Mercedes’ new C-Class managed to get three stars for child protection and just two stars for pedestrian protection while the Volvo V70 was awarded with 4-stars for child protection and only two stars for pedestrian safety. Finally the Renault Laguna was awarded four stars for the safety it offers to children and as the other two models tested, a mediocre two star rating for pedestrian protection. –Details after the jump

VOLVO V70

Front impact
The passenger compartment remained stable during the impact. The steering column and steering wheel moved forward, creating more space for the driver dummy's head and chest. Dummy results showed that the knees and femur of the driver and passenger were well protected. Volvo were able to demonstrate that the car would provide similar levels of upper leg protection to occupants of different sizes and to those in different seating positions.

Side impact
The car scored maximum points for its performance in the side impact test. However, in the first pole test, the side airbags fired late which prevented the side curtain airbag from fully deploying, and the car was penalised. Volvo were dissatisfied with the performance of the car in that test and developed a fix for the airbag deployment problem. Euro NCAP agreed to a re-test on the condition that all cars were modified. Volvo have implemented the fix in all production vehicles and have recalled cars, telling owners to get their cars updated by their dealers. Unfortunately, the same problem occurred in the re-test and again the airbag failed to deploy correctly.

Child-protection
The V70 scored maximum points for its protection of both the 18 month and the 3 year old, based on dummy readings from the frontal and side impact tests. The passenger airbag can be disconnected by a Volvo dealer, allowing a rearward facing child restraint to be usedin that seating position. The label warning of the dangers of doing so without first disabling the airbag was not clear. The presence of ISOFIX anchorages in the rear seats was not clearly marked.

Pedestrian protection
The bumper scores maximum points for its protection of pedestrians' legs and the bonnet provided predominantly fair protection to children's heads. However, the part of the bonnet likely to be struck by an adult's head provided predominantly poor protection, as did the front edge of the bonnet.

RENAULT LAGUNA

Front impact
The passenger compartment remained stable during the impact. The driver's right lower leg was the only body region not to score maximum points in the frontal impact. The knees and femurs of the driver and passenger dummies were well protected during the impact. Renault were able to demonstrate that structures in the dashboard do not represent a hazard to occupants of different sizes or to those sat in different positions.

Side impact
The Laguna scored maximum points based on dummy responses. However, the rear door on the struck side opened during the test and the car was penalised by one point. Renault is investigating the problem.

Child-protection
The car scored maximum points for its protection of the 3 year old, based on the dummy results from the frontal and side impacts. The passenger airbag can be deactivated to allow a rearward facing child restraint to be used in that seating position but information provided to the driver about the status of the airbag was inadequate. The presence of ISOFIX anchorages was not clearly marked.

Pedestrian protection
The front edge of the bonnet scored no points for its protection of pedestrians' legs. The bonnet's protection of pedestrians' heads was predominantly poor.

MERCEDES C-CLASS

Front impact
The passenger compartment remained stable during the impact. The dummy results showed that the front seat passengers' knees and femurs were well protected and Mercedes were able to show that the car would provide similar protection to occupants of different sizes and to those sat in different seating positions.

Side impact
The car scored maximum points for its performance in the side impact and pole tests.

Child-protection
A system is available as an option on the C-Class which automatically recognises when a child restraint is fitted to the front passenger seat and disables the airbag. The system was not fitted to to the test vehicle. Without it, a rearward facing child restraint should not be used in the front passenger seat as the airbag cannot be manually disabled. The label warning of the dangers of doing to so was not permanently attached. The presence of ISOFIX anchorages was not clearly marked.

Pedestrian protection
The bumper scored maximum points for its protection of pedestrians' legs. However, the bonnet was rated as predominantly poor for the protection offered to pedestrians' legs by its front edge and to adults' heads by the bonnet surface.

EuroNcap: 5-Stars For Mazda2, 4-Stars For Honda Civic & Daihatsu Materia

Today, EuroNCAP published the test results for the new Daihatsu Materia, the Honda Civic 5d and the Mazda 2. Starting with Mazda’s new supermini, which was granted a re-test due to a problem with the deployment of the front airbag, the “2” scored a maximum five stars for adult protection, fours stars for child protection and a mediocre two stars for pedestrian protection. -Continued

As with the Civic Hybrid Sedan, the 5door Civic didn’t manage to achieve a maximum five stars rating for adult protection, managing a satisfactory 4-star rating. According to EuroNCAP, in the frontal test, the driver's airbag was not sufficiently well inflated to prevent the driver's head from contacting the steering wheel while structures in the dashboard presented a potential hazard to the driver's femurs. The Civic 5d was awarded four stars for child protection and just two stars for pedestrian protection.

Finally, the new Daihatsu Materia scored an adequate four star rating for adult protection, three star rating for child occupant safety and a mere two stars for pedestrian safety

MAZDA2

Front impact
In the first frontal test, a small disturbance shortly before impact resulted in late firing of the airbags and protection of the driver and passenger was compromised. Mazda investigated the problem and upgraded the airbag control software to handle such situations more effectively, as disturbances such as these can happen in real accidents. Production cars now have the new software and all cars manufactured before the change will be upgraded. In the re-test, the airbags fired as intended. The passenger compartment remained stable and the knees and femurs of the driver and passenger dummies were well protected. Mazda were able to demonstrate that the knees and femurs of occupants of different sizes and those sat in different seating positions would be similarly well protected.

Side impact
The rear door on the struck side opened during the test and the car was penalised one point.

Child-protection
The Mazda 2 scored maximum points for its protection of the three year old, based on the dummy reponses in the frontal and side impact tests. Mazda dealers can disable the passenger airbag, allowing a reaward facing child restraint to be used in that seating position. Without this modification, a rearward facing childseat should not be used in that seat as the airbag cannot be manually disabled. The label warning of the dangers of doing so was not adequate and was visible only when the passenger's sun visor was in the stowed position. The presence of ISOFIX anchorages in the rear outboard seats was not clearly marked.

Pedestrian protection
The bumper was rated as predominantly fair for its protection of pedestrians' legs. The part of the bonnet surface likely to be struck by adults' heads was rated as predominantly poor.

HONDA CIVIC

Front impact
Honda have modified the safety system of the Civic for the 2008 model year car. The timing of the pretensioners has been changed to provide better restraint of the front seat passengers and dual stage frontal airbags have replaced the previous single stage units. However, in the frontal test, the driver's airbag was not sufficiently well inflated to prevent the driver's head from contacting the steering wheel. The passenger compartment remained stable. Structures in the dashboard presented a potential hazard to the driver's femurs.

Side impact
The 2008 Civic has a larger side airbag than its 2006 predecessor. Rib deflections were lower, resulting in a score one point higher than the earlier version. Like last time, the car scored the maximum two points in the pole test.

Child-protection
The passenger airbag can be disabled by Honda dealers to allow a rearward facing child restraint to be used in that seating position. There was a clear warning of the dangers of using a childseat in that seat if the airbag has not been disabled. The presence of ISOFIX anchorages in the rear outboard seats was not clearly marked.

Pedestrian protection
Honda have made no changes that would influence the results of the pedestrian tests so the results of the car tested in 2006 have been carried over here. Both the bumper and the leading edge of the bonnet scored maximum points for the protection they offered to the legs of pedestrians. The part of the bonnet likely to be struck by a child's head was also rated predominantly 'fair'.

DAIHATSU MATERIA

Front impact
The driver dummy indicated considerable differential movement between the femur and the tibia. Such movement can lead to knee injuries. That result, combined with penalties for dashboard structures which could present further hazards to the driver, led to a 'weak' rating for protection of the knees, femurs and pelvis. The passenger compartment remained stable during the impact.

Side impact
A head protecting airbag is available as an option. As it is not standard equipment, the car was not eligible for a pole test.

Child-protection
The passenger airbag can be disabled to allow a rearward facing child restraint to be used in that seating position. However, information provided to the driver regarding the status of the airbag is not sufficiently clear. There was a clear warning of the dangers of using a rearward facing childseat in the position without having first disabled the airbag. The presence of ISOFIX anchorages in the rear outboard seats was not clearly marked.

Pedestrian protection
The bumper provided predominantly fair protection, as did the bonnet surface where an adult's head would strike. However, the front edge of the bonnet provided predominantly poor protection, as did that part of the surface where a child's head would contact.

EuroNCAP: 2008 Nissan X-Trail Receives 4 Start Rating

Nissan’s second generation X-Trail SUV (details here) was awarded four stars out of a maximum five for adult, as well as child, occupant protection by the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP. According to EuroNCAP, while the X-Trail scored maximum points in the side impact and pole tests, in the front impact protection of the driver's neck was rated as 'weak' because of the extent to which it was bent backwards in the test. Also, structures in the dashboard presented a risk of injury to the knees and femurs of the driver and passenger. -Continued

In terms of pedestrian safety, the X-Trail received a mediocre two out of four stars. Euroncap notes that the front edge of the bonnet scored no points for its protection of pedestrians' legs while the bonnet offered predominantly poor protection to adults' heads.

It may come as a surspise, but in the compact SUV category, the majority of vehicles (2007 Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV-4, Suzuki Grand Vitara, Mitsubishi Outlander etc) have been awarded with four stars. The only models that have managed to get a five star rating are the 2007 Land Rover Freelander and the new Volkswagen Tiguan.

Euro NCAP: 2008 Smart Fortwo Gets Four Star Rating

Smart’s all-new 2008 Fortwo has received four out of five stars in Euro NCAP’s latest adult occupant protection rating. The miniscule two-seater also obtained a mediocre 2-star rating in pedestrian safety. Since the Smart ForTwo has no rear seats, consequently it wasn’t assessed by Euro NCAP for child protection. Comparatively, the Fortwo’s predecessor, the City Coupe had received a three out of five stars in Euro NCAP’s 2000 tests. -One more pic after the jump

Renault's Synchronized Crash Commercial

To reflect on its five star European crash test scores, Renault decided to create a commercial which boasts elegance and sophistication while crashing its cars. (And does so nicely might I add.) The cars take on a life of their own in a synchronized ballet of side, rear and mid-air crashes. The European auto ads never seize to amaze me. Via: Motorpasion

Posted by Daniella

VW Tiguan Awarded With 5-Stars In Euro NCAP Tests

Following earlier announcements today on the Hyundai i30 and Ford Mondeo crash test results, Euro NCAP (European New Car Assessment Programme) gave out the results for the 2008 VW Tiguan. The compact SUV did quite well achieving a maximum five star rating for occupant protection and four stars for child safety (out of five). Like most cars tested by Euro NCAP, the Tiguan achieved a mediocre two star rating (out of four) for pedestrian protection. -One more pic after the jump

Ford Mondeo Gets 5-Stars On EuroNCAP Safety Tests

The new Ford Mondeo obtained a 5-star rating and 35 points for adult occupant protection in the latest round of Euro NCAP safety testing announced today. According to Ford, the test result for the Mondeo is one of the top 10 ever recorded in the respected independent crash testing evaluations. The Mondeo also achieved a very good 4-star rating (out of five) and 39 points for child occupant protection, but it didn’t manage so well in pedestrian protection were it scored a mediocre 2-star rating (out of four) and 18 points. -More images after the jump

Euro NCAP: Hyundai i30 Achieves 4-Star Rating – Worse Than The Kia Cee’d!

Surprise, surprise… Kia Cee’d’s alter ego, the Hyundai i30 didn’t do so well at the European New Car Assessment Programme’s (Euro NCAP for short) latest tests as it scored a four star rating (out of five) and 33 points for adult protection. The Cee’d on the other hand, had achieved a maximum 5-star rating and 34 points (click here) .

Strange, to say the least, since we’re virtually talking about the same the car. There is an explanation however. According to Euro NCAP, the i30 did not achieve the minimum points needed in frontal impact for a 5-star adult occupant rating, despite scoring enough points overall because the driver dummy's right knee showed potential injurious. Euro NCAP says that this, combined with penalties for structures in the dashboard which could injure occupants' knees and femurs, gave an overall rating of 'weak' for protection of that body region. -Continued after the jump

Additionally, the i30 achieved a mediocre 3-star rating (out of 5) and 34 points in child occupant protection when the Kia Cee’d was warded with 4-stars and 37 points! At least the Hyundai managed to equal the Cee’d’s 2-star rating (out of four) in pedestrian protection. Have in mind though that the i30 currently sold in Europe is manufactured in Korea. In 2008, Hyundai will transfer production for the European market i30 to its new factory in the Czech Republic. Wonder how the Korean carmaker will communicate the latest Euro NCAPresults.

Euro NCAP: 5-Star Ratings For Peugeot 308 & Kia Cee’d

For first the time since Euro NCAP started testing the Korean automakers models in 2003, a Kia, the Cee’d, managed to achieve a 5-star rating in adult occupant protection with an overall score of 34 points. Peugeot’s on the other hand continued its strike of 5-star rating models (1007, 207 & 407) with the new 308 hatch. In the child protection tests both models were awarded with 4 out 5 stars while in pedestrian protection, the Cee’d got a mediocre 2-star rating (out of 4) and the Peugeot a 3 star rating. -Continued after the jump

EURO NCAP KIA CEE’D

Front impact
The passenger compartment remained stable during the impact. Structures in the dashboard presented a risk of injury to the knees and femurs of the driver and the passenger. The clutch pedal moved rearward more than 100mm, but there was no rupture of the footwell.

Side impact
The Cee'd scored maximum points in the side impact and pole tests

Child-protection
The car scored maximum points for the dynamic performance of the 3 year old dummy in the frontal and side impacts. The front passenger's airbag can be disabled, allowing a rearward facing child restraint to be used in that seating position. However, information provided to the driver about the status of the airbag is not sufficiently clear. The label warning of the dangers of using a rearward facing child restraint in the passenger's seat without first disabling the airbag was not clear and was not permanently visible. The presence of ISOFIX anchorages in the rear outboard seats was not clearly marked.

Pedestrian protection
The bumper scored no points for the protection offered to pedestrians' legs. Protection of adults' heads was also rated as predominantly poor.

EURO NCAP PEUGEOT 308

Front impact
The passenger compartment remained stable during the impact. The driver's knees were well protected by an airbag mounted in the lower dashboard. Peugeot showed that the airbag would also protect occupants who were larger or smaller than the dummy used in the test, and those sat in different seating positions. The passenger was well restrained and his knees did not get close to the dashboard.

Side impact
The 308 scored maximum points in the side impact and pole tests.

Child-protection
The passenger airbag can be disabled to allow a rearward facing child restraint to be used in that seating position. However, information provided to the driver regarding the status of the airbag is not clear. The presence of ISOFIX anchorages in the front passenger seat and the rear outboard seats was not clearly marked.

Pedestrian protection
The bumper scored maximum points for its protection of pedestrians' legs. Also, the protection offered by the bonnet to the head of a struck child was predominantly fair. However, protection of adults' heads was mostly poor.

EuroNCAP: 5-Star Rating For Fiat 500, 4-Star For The Renault Twingo

Oh boy, its coming; the earth will turn upside down and all hell will freeze: Renault developed a new model that achieved a “mere” 4-star rating in adult occupancy protection with an overall score of 28 points. Though that’s pretty ok (and better than the Twingo I’s 3-star rating), we’re certain that we can hear some “French” at Renault’s headquarters… Especially now that they found out about the new Fiat 500 's five star rating in adult occupant protection with an overall score of 35 points.

In the other tests, both the Renault Twingo II and Fiat 500 were rated with 2-stars (out of four) for pedestrian protection. While the Twingo II was not tested for child-protection as there was not enough space to fit Renault’s recommended child restraints in the rear seats with the front seats set to Euro NCAP’s test position for adults (…) the Fiat 500 managed a so-and-so 3-star rating (out of five). -Continued after the jump

EuroNCAP Fiat 500

Front impact: The passenger compartment remained stable during the impact. The driver's knees were well protected by an airbag. Fiat showed that the airbag would also protect larger and smaller occupants and those sat in different seating positions. There were no structures in the dashboard that presented a risk of injury to the passenger's knees and femurs.

Child-protection: In the side impact, the head of the 3 year old dummy was not contained within the child restraint and it contacted the side of the 18 month child's restraint. In the same test, the head of the 18 month was contained but experienced a high head deceleration caused by contact with the side of the restraint. The passenger airbag can be disabled to allow a rearward facing child restraint to be used in that seating position. However, information provided to the driver about the status of the airbag is not clear. The presence of ISOFIX anchorages in the rear outboard seats is not clearly marked.

Pedestrian protection: The front edge of the bonnet scored no points for the protection it offered to pedestrians' legs. The bonnet offered predominantly poor protection to pedestrians' heads.

EuroNCAP Renault Twingo II

Front impact: The passenger compartment remained stable during the impact. Structures in the dashboard presented a potential hazard to the knees and femurs of both of the driver's legs and to the passenger's inboard leg.

Child-protection: With the front seats set to the Euro NCAP test position (mid-position of fore-aft adjustment), the child restraints recommended by Renault could not be fitted in the rear seats. Therefore, it was not possible to establish the child protection rating of the Twingo.

Pedestrian protection: The bumper offered predominantly fair protection to pedestrians' legs. However, the front edge of the bonnet was rated as poor and scored no points. The bonnet surface was rated as predominantly poor for the protection offered to pedestrians' heads.

Kia Amanti Outperforms BMW 5-Series In New Side-Impact Crash Test!

BMW’s 5-Series may buy you the “ultimate driving experience” but it won’t win you high performance quality in the new side-impact crash tests. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducted side impact crash tests on luxury sedans. The highest safety rating went to the Acura RL, Kia Amanti and Volvo S80 with second prize going to the Cadillac STS and Mercedes E-Class. The worst performer according to IIHS’s test was the 2008 BMW 5 series.

But, a KIA safer than a BMW?- Did we miss something? According to the IIHS, the air bags in the BMW 5 Series protected the head, but separate air bags designed to protect the chest and abdomen performed poorly. BMW has some explaining to do. In fact, they did just that. Except a spokesperson claimed that "the issue is that depending on the location of seat, the location of dummy, the location of the sled, the results could change, this was one test on one day on one car." The institute's test indicated the 5 Series has a strong body structure but the dummy was injured when it was “hit by the arm rest”. Well, in that case: Attention all BMW drivers, in case of an accident, beware of flying cup holders! -IIHS press release after the jump

Posted by Dani

Source: IIHS , Via: Detnews

PRESS RELEASE: New side tests of large luxury cars: luxury doesn't always buy safety

ARLINGTON, VA — Three of six large car models earn the top rating of good, but one is marginal in side impact crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Results show a range of performance in how well large cars are designed to protect people in serious side crashes.

Ratings of good, acceptable, marginal, or poor are based on a crash test in which a barrier designed to replicate the front end of a typical SUV or pickup truck strikes the tested vehicle in the side at 31 mph.

The best performers are the Acura RL, Kia Amanti, and Volvo S80, all 2007 models. The S80 also earns the Institute's 2007 TOP SAFETY PICK award for superior overall crash protection. The S80 qualifies because it's rated good in the Institute's front, side, and rear tests and has electronic stability control as standard equipment. The 2007 Cadillac STS and Mercedes E class earn acceptable ratings in the latest round of side tests. The worst performer is the 2008 BMW 5 series, which earns the second lowest rating of marginal for side impact protection. All 6 cars are equipped with standard side airbags that protect the heads of people in front and rear seats.

Side impacts are the second most common fatal crash type after frontal crashes. About 9,200 people in passenger vehicles were killed in side impacts in 2005. In crashes with other passenger vehicles during 2004-05, 49 percent of driver deaths in 1-3-year-old cars and minivans occurred in side impacts, up from 31 percent in 1980-81. During the same time, the proportion of driver deaths in frontal crashes declined from 61 to 46 percent.

"These changes are attributable to two effects," says Institute president Adrian Lund. "There have been significant improvements in frontal crash protection — standard airbags, improved structural designs, and increased use of safety belts, for example. At the same time, growing sales of SUVs and pickups have exacerbated height mismatches among passenger vehicles, thereby increasing the risks to occupants of many vehicles struck in the side."

High price doesn't always predict safety performance: The lowest priced vehicle in the group the Institute recently tested, the Amanti, was one of the best performers. One of the most expensive models, the 5 series, was the worst.

"The Amanti shows that you don't have to buy an expensive car to get good protection in crashes with SUVs and pickup trucks," Lund points out. The side structure of the Amanti allowed more intrusion than in the other cars in this group, but all of the injury measures recorded on the dummies were low. The standard head curtain airbags for front- and back-seat occupants kept the dummies' heads from hitting any hard structures including the intruding crash test barrier.

The head-protecting airbags in the BMW 5 series are tubular structures that differ from the curtain airbags in the Amanti but also are effective. However, torso protection is rated poor for the driver dummy in the 5 series, even though it has separate airbags designed to protect the chests and abdomens of front-seat occupants. Measures recorded on the driver dummy indicate that rib fractures and internal organ injuries would be likely to occur in a real-world crash of this severity. A pelvic fracture also would be possible.

Changes are made to improve occupant protection in side impacts: The Mercedes E class was re-engineered for 2007 with an emphasis on improving occupant protection in side crashes. When the Institute tested an early production model in 2007, the car earned an acceptable rating mainly because of high forces recorded on the driver dummy's torso. Mercedes changed the front door trim panels on cars built after May 2007 to try to fix the problem and asked the Institute to test the revised car. The result was a slight improvement but not enough to change this car's rating. The test of the revised design still showed high forces on the driver dummy that could result in rib and pelvic fractures in a real-world crash of similar severity.

"The E class earns the Institute's top rating of good for front and rear crash protection. If this manufacturer can improve side impact protection, this car will earn TOP SAFETY PICK," Lund says.

General Motors made changes to the Cadillac STS including reinforcing the B-pillars, changing front door trim panels, and modifying the side torso airbags. The car with these changes earns the second highest rating of acceptable.

The side impact test is only one aspect used to evaluate vehicle crashworthiness. The Institute also conducts 40 mph frontal offset crash tests and evaluates vehicles' seat/head restraint designs for protection in rear crashes. Nearly every passenger vehicle, including all of the cars in this group, now earns the highest rating of good for frontal crash protection. However, side and rear evaluations vary widely. Consumers shopping for safety need to be aware of these differences and choose vehicles that offer the best overall protection in crashes. For comparative evaluations of hundreds of passenger vehicles, go to www.iihs.org/ratings.

How side tests are conducted: A vehicle's side evaluation is based on performance in a crash test in which the side of the vehicle is struck by a barrier moving at 31 mph. The barrier represents the front end of a pickup or SUV. Overall ratings reflect injury measures recorded on two instrumented SID-IIs dummies, assessment of head protection countermeasures, and the vehicle's structural performance during the test. Injury measures obtained from the two dummies, one in the driver seat and the other in the back seat behind the driver, are used to determine the likelihood that a driver and/or passenger in a real-world crash would sustain serious injury to various body regions. The movements and contacts of the dummies' heads during the test also are evaluated. Structural performance is based on measurements indicating the amount of B-pillar intrusion into the occupant compartment.

Euro NCAP: Poor Results From Electronic Stability Control Fitment Survey In The EU

We know it as ESP, ESC, DSC, DCS etc. We also know that Electronic Stability Control can turn potentially serious accidents into near misses and could reduce accident occurrence. Unfortunately though, according to a pan-European survey from Euro NCAP, there are huge differences in the extent to which ESC is offered as standard equipment to car-buyers across Europe. The EU wide survey places the UK, Netherlands, Greece, Malta and Ireland bottom of a country ranking with Denmark, Sweden and Germany topping the list in ESC fitment. -Continued after the Jump

The results were released today. Tuesday, May 8, in association with the launch of the new ‘Choose ESC’ Campaign, led by eSafetyAware! and under the patronage of the European Commission, with the goal of raising awareness of ESC.

In presenting the results, Euro NCAP’s Secretary General Adrian Hobbs said ‘We must all do what we can to raise awareness of ESC’s importance. Car manufacturers respond to the demands of customers but customers will only demand ESC when they become aware of the benefits. The media and organisations such as fleet buyers can play a pivotal role in increasing this awareness and in helping to bring pressure to bear on manufacturers and distributors to fit ESC as standard on all new cars, in all countries.’

Basically, the problem is focused mainly in the A (mini) and B (supermini) categories, and less in the C (lower-medium) and D (medium) segments. We totally agree with Euro NCAP that ESC should be fitted as standard in all cars, even if that means a surcharge of around €500 to 800 to the base price. If you ask us, we believe that like ABS, ESC will be standard in nearly every car sold in the EU in a few years. However, Euro NCAP should also concentrate on finding a way to assess vehicle driving dynamics, because ESC by itself is not a panacea in every case. Try out a Chevrolet/Daewoo Lanos with ESC and a Ford Focus without ESC and you’ll see what we mean.

Technorati: Euro+NCAP, Safety, auto+news, car+news, automobile, cars, automotive, vehicles, Carscoop, blogs, 2007

Euro NCAP: 5-star rating for 2008 Peugeot 207 CC & MINI Cooper

As anticipated, the 2008 Peugeot 207 CC and MINI Cooper models managed to obtain a five-star rating in adult occupant safety in Euro NCAP’s latest safety results which were released earlier today. That’s a 1-star upgrade for the MINI Cooper over its predecessor which was tested in 2002 (the previous generation 206 CC hadn’t been tested by Euro NCAP). -Continued: Click “Read More…” below

Both cars achieved a poor two-star score in pedestrian protection. Oddly enough, the 207 hatchback has achieved a 3-star rating in the same safety test. Finally, the MINI Cooper obtained a mediocre 3-out-5 rating for child protection while the 207 CC didn’t get tested for child safety due to the fact that car was not large enough to fit the recommended child restraints on the rear seats, with the front seats in the normal position for average sized occupants.

Summary of Results

Superminis - Occupant Protection - Child Protection - Pedestrian

MINI Cooper - 5 stars - 3 stars - 2 stars

Peugeot 207CC - 5 stars -N/A - 2 stars

Technorati: Peugeot+207CC, MINI+Cooper, Euro+NCAP, Safety, auto+news, car+news, automobile, cars, automotive, vehicles, Carscoop, blogs, 2007