These are the safest cars of 2018, according to Euro NCAP

2018 Mercedes-Benz A Class front

Europe’s Best in Class cars are also some of the safest cars in history

If you look for safety, look no more: these are the safest cars that were tested in 2018. Incidentally, as Euro NCAP's norms are continually adapted to include the latest safety technologies, they are also some of the safest cars in history.

Euro NCAP, Europe's car safety rating organization, just announced its Best in Class cars for 2018. To define the Best in Class, Euro NCAP calculated the weighted sum of the scores in each of the four areas of assessment: Adult Occupant, Child Occupant, Pedestrian and Safety Assist. This sum was used as the basis for comparison of the vehicles. Cars qualified for ‘Best in Class’ based only on their rating with standard safety equipment. Additional ratings based on optional equipment were excluded.

This year, Euro NCAP also gave an award for the best safety performance of the electric and hybrid cars it has tested.

“In 2018 we introduced tough new tests, with a particular focus on Vulnerable Road User protection. The three Best in Class award winners this year all clearly demonstrate that car-makers are striving for the highest levels of protection and that Euro NCAP’s assessments are a catalyst for these crucial safety improvements.”
Euro NCAP Secretary General Michiel van Ratingen

Mercedes-Benz A-Class – the safest car in the Small Family Car category, the A-Class got a 96% score for Adult Occupants, 91% for Child Occupants, 92% for Vulnerable Road Users and 75% for Safety Assist features. It can brake automatically when a pedestrian or a cyclist crosses its path, and can also reduce its speed or even brake to a full stop in inter-urban and urban settings. A lane assist system and an active bonnet complete its standard safety assist features.

2018 Mercedes-Benz A-Class

Lexus ES – the safest car in the Large Family Car category, the Lexus ES got a 91% score for Adult Occupants, 87% for Child Occupants, 90% for Vulnerable Road Users and 77% for Safety Assist Features. The ES 300h tested also had all the safety assist features that automatically stop the car from running into pedestrians, cyclists or other cars and help it keep its lane. The ES is also singled out as the safest electric & hybrid car in Europe (Euro NCAP did not test a Tesla Model 3 yet).

2019-Lexus-ES-300h-F-Sport-5-8564_cr

Hyundai NEXO – the safest car in the Large Off-Road category, got a 94% score for Adult Occupants, 87% for Child Occupants, 67% for Vulnerable Road Users and 80% for Safety Assist.

Hyundai-Nexo-FCEV-3-4801_cr

“Euro NCAP put automated driving technology to the test in 2018 for the first time and our findings helped clarify some of the confusion motoring consumers are currently experiencing. Assisted driving systems can bring safety and convenience benefits but full automation is a long way off. We will follow and assess these developments closely and ensure that consumers have all the information they need when considering these new driver technologies.”
Euro NCAP Secretary General Michiel van Ratingen

We'll come back with the list of the safest cars in America, soon.

READ MORE: How safe are Tesla cars? 5 facts and myths explained