Euro NCAP this week released safety test results for five new models from Ford, Hyundai and Toyota. Four cars, two of which were electric, received the best rating, five stars.
The Euro NCAP tests are one of the main indicators of the durability and safety of new models and carmakers know it. It has happened in the past that a vehicle has failed these tests, which certainly doesn’t help sales. Today, however, a significant part of the rating is made up of active safety, i.e. electronic watchdogs and driving assistants, so getting less than three stars is frowned upon.
But that’s not the case with the most recently tested models, which are the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Tucson, and Toyota Yaris Cross. In fact, all of these cars reached five stars, the highest mark. Just below them, scoring four stars, was the new Hyundai Bayon small crossover. Interestingly, two of the “five-star” models run on electricity.
Let’s start with the Ford Mustang Mach-E electric SUV-coupe. The new car, which takes its name from the legendary Ford Mustang muscle car, is considerably better than that muscle car – the one with the five-liter V-8 engine only got a three-star rating.
But the electric SUV really only shares a name and a few design elements with it. The car scored five stars and, for example, the driver and passenger protection test was 92% successful, while the child protection test was 86% successful.
The second tested electric car was a new product from the South Korean carmaker Hyundai, namely the crossover Ioniq 5.
For example, in the driving safety assistant test, the car scored 88% of the points, with practically every category losing no more than half a point. Children are protected by the car at 88 per cent. In a collision with a pedestrian, the Ioniq 5 scored 63 per cent, which was still enough to earn five stars.
Large SUVs traditionally perform very well in Euro NCAP tests, a result confirmed by the latest Hyundai Tucson, a car that has attracted attention since its introduction thanks to its unconventional design. But it’s already clear that the car is not only good-looking, but also safe. It scored highly in occupant protection, scoring 86 per cent and 87 per cent for children. The car has therefore been awarded five stars.
Only four stars were awarded to the last Hyundai Bayon tested. Euro NCAP writes that it performed well in crash tests, for example, and for a small crossover, such a result is impressive.
The new Toyota Yaris Cross crossover, which is based on the platform of the classic Yaris, has been tested both in Europe and in Australia, where its safety was the focus of sister company ANCAP. And on both continents, the Yaris Cross proved to be a very safe car, also scoring five stars.
Of all the models last tested, the Japanese crossover scored the most balanced results. It protects adult occupants at 86 per cent, children at 84 per cent and pedestrians at 78 per cent. The car did not fall behind in terms of driving assist functionality, with a score of 81 per cent.
