According to Euro NCAP
Euro NCAP has published its yearly list of top safety performers. Let’s meet Europe’s safest cars in 2018.
Before we proceed, you should keep in mind that Euro NCAP picked a best-in-class car, as it’s both odd and unfair to compare vehicle from different market segments. Moreover, Euro NCAP only took into consideration a car’s safety credentials as offered by the standard equipment, while ratings coming from optional safety features were left out.
In the executive class, Volkswagen’s Arteon grabbed the number one position courtesy of a well-rounded set of protection ratings: 96% adult occupant, 85% child occupant, 85% pedestrian and 82% for safety assist features.
Volvo’s XC60 SUV was named the safest car in the large off-road category. The SUV’s crash test ratings – 98% adult occupant, 87% child occupant, 76% pedestrian and 95% safety assist – were more than enough to propel the Swede in front of its competitors.
Up next was the small off-road segment, where another Volkswagen claimed the safety crown: the freshly-launched T-Roc. Crash test ratings for Wolfsburg’s crossover were 96% for adult occupant protection, 87% for child occupant protection, 79% for pedestrian protection and 71% for safety assist systems.
The third Volkswagen model to stand out as far as safety is concerned was the Polo supermini. Just like the T-Roc, it scored high in the adult and child occupant protection sections – 96% and 85%, respectively – while the ratings for pedestrian protection and safety assist features were 76% and 59%, respectively.
The top performer award in the small MPV category went to the Opel/Vauxhall Crossland X, a member of the brand’s recent SUV/crossover wave. Its safety ratings were 85% for adult occupant and 84% for child occupant, while pedestrian protection came at 62% and safety assist was rated at 57%.
Subaru’s no-nonsense compact crossover – the XV – outclassed its competitors in the small family section courtesy of high ratings for adult occupant (94%), child occupant (89%) and pedestrian (84%) protection. For its safety assist features, the XV got a score of 68%.
Closing Euro NCAP’s list is another Subaru model, this time the Impreza hatchback. It scored almost identical ratings to its jacked-up peer – 94% adult occupant protection, 89% child occupant protection, 82% pedestrian protection and 68% safety assist.