Source: BMW
Munich – The latest-generation BMW 3 Series has been awarded the maximum five-star rating in the recent round of Euro NCAP (New Car Assessment Program) crash testing. Added to which, it emerged with the best-ever result for adult occupant protection achieved by a “large family car” (midsize model) since the introduction of the current, extremely demanding Euro NCAP test format.
The BMW 3 Series also recorded excellent results for child occupant protection, “Vulnerable Road User” (e.g. pedestrian) protection and standard safety equipment.
A five-star rating in Euro NCAP crash testing represents a glowing endorsement of the effectiveness of a vehicle’s integrated safety concept, which – in the new BMW 3 Series, as in other models – encompasses both the body structure and the restraint systems.
Supporting structures with a weight-optimized design and a high load-bearing capacity combine with precisely engineered deformation paths in the new 3 Series to provide the ideal basis for preserving the passenger cell’s rigidity in various types of collision – i.e. for keeping the occupants’ survival space intact.
In Euro NCAP testing, the aluminum/high-strength steel safety passenger cell of the new BMW 3 Series proved to be extremely robust – both in the frontal and side collisions and the side pole impact. In a frontal collision, the forces acting on the vehicle are diverted via multiple load paths in the floor assembly, side frame, bulkhead and roof, and absorbed by large deformation zones. Reinforced side structures in the B-pillars and side sill areas, high-strength side impact members in the doors and sturdy seat cross-members protect the occupants in the event of a side-on collision. The seats and head restraints have been specially designed to minimize the risk of whiplash injuries resulting from a collision against the rear of the vehicle. Strengthened pillars and roof members ensure that the passenger cell retains its rigidity if the car rolls over.
Central safety electronics control the functioning of the various restraint systems fitted in the new BMW 3 Series. This means the three-point inertia-reel seatbelts on all seats deploy as part of a precisely coordinated response with the front, side and head airbags – according to the type of impact and its severity.
The testers’ evaluation of the crash test results revealed that the new BMW 3 Series offers exceptionally high levels of protection for adult occupants, with an almost perfect score of 97 per cent. They are therefore protected from injury to an outstanding degree, regardless of their height or the seat’s position.
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