Euro NCAP Crash Tests Best in Class for 2019

Source: Euro NCAP

BRUSSELS – Euro NCAP has announced its Best in Class for 2019. The organization, which assesses crash worthiness, tested 55 vehicles last year and 41 achieved five stars, the top ranking and which made 2019 one of the most impressive since the program began.

Mercedes-Benz regained its crown in the best performing Small Family Car category. The CLA is the sporty alternative to the A-Class Sedan, the winner of last year’s Best in Class. It achieved a score of more than 90 percent in three of the four areas of safety and delivered the best overall rating of the year. Remarkably, Mercedes-Benz launched five more five-star vehicles in 2019, all with outstanding crash protection and driver assistance technology.

Tesla also made a strong appearance this year. Model X is 2019’s winner in the Large Off-Road category, with the SEAT Tarraco in second place. The Tesla Model 3 is top of the ‘Electric and Hybrid’ vehicle class and, together with BMW’s 3 Series, shares top-spot in the Large Family category.

The two cars end up with identical overall scores, the BMW scoring better in pedestrian protection, and the Tesla edging it in Safety Assist. Škoda’s new Octavia is the runner-up in this category.

In the combined Small Off-road/Small MPV class, Subaru wins with the new Forester, with excellent all-round performance. Mazda’s CX-30 and VW’s T-Cross, are close followers in this category.

Despite missing out on the top spot, Mazda had an excellent year, with the Mazda 3 turning in an exceptional performance in adult occupant protection and taking the second place to the Mercedes-Benz CLA in the Small Family Car category.

In the Supermini class there is a tie: the sporty Audi A1 and top-selling Renault Clio have been among Europe’s most popular and desirable hatchbacks for years. Their latest generations arrived in 2019 and came out equally well in the tests. Newcomer Ford Puma is the runner-up in this category.

The Supermini segment remains the most competitive in the market, as is illustrated by the presence of 3-, 4- and 5-star cars in the list and the winners deserve extraordinary credits for their uncompromising stance on safety.

Finally, a special mention goes to the outstanding performance of the BMW Z4, the only roadster tested in 2019 but which unquestionably has set a new safety benchmark for the segment.

Each year, Euro NCAP publishes a list of those cars that have performed best in their respective categories. Star ratings cannot be compared directly between different categories of vehicles, so a ‘Best in Class’ is published showing which vehicles have performed better than their competitors. As the requirements for each star rating become tougher each year, the ‘Best in Class’ comparison is made only within each calendar year so that all vehicles are assessed against the same standards.

To define the Best in Class, a calculation is made of the weighted sum of the scores in each of the four areas of assessment: Adult Occupant, Child Occupant, Pedestrian and Safety Assist. This sum is used as the basis for comparison of the vehicles. Cars qualify for ‘Best in Class’ based only on their rating with standard safety equipment. Additional ratings based on optional equipment are excluded.

For full results, visit www.euroncap.com.

Mike Geylin
Mike Geylin

Mike Geylin is the Editor-in-Chief at Hagman Media. Geylin has been in automotive communications for five decades working in all aspects of the industry from OEM to supplier to motorsports as well as reporting for both newspapers and magazines on the industry.