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. -ContinuedIn 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.
