Wanting to have a safe car is understandable, but if you are intending to buy something for regular family use, it should become one of your highest priorities.
Fortunately, the European New Car Assessment Program – better known as Euro NCAP – test the safety of new cars, performing stringent experiments on the safety credentials of almost all models on the market, including a year-end ‘best in class’ announcement for the most impressive examples.
As of 2019, these are the safest new family cars you can buy. Needless to say, all of the cars below scored a five-star rating.
Tested earlier this year, the Clio scored an average of 83 per cent across the four main categories of the Euro NCAP testing process. As some categories of cars are not tested, there was no ‘safest supermini’ award in the best-in-class Euro NCAP release of 2018, but it comfortably outscored all similar cars tested in 2018, and the 2017 ‘best supermini’, the Volkswagen Polo.
Mercedes revealed the new-generation A-Class last year, and it received a fair amount of praise. However, perhaps its highest accolade was being named the safest ‘small family car’ of 2018 by Euro NCAP.
Awarded the safest ‘large off-road’ title last year, the NEXO is a great choice if you want to venture off the beaten track safely.
The hydrogen-powered vehicle performed particularly highly in the adult occupant protection tests, scoring 94 per cent overall.
The T-Cross slots in below the T-Roc as the smallest SUV in the current VW range, but don’t think that its lack of size means a lack of safety.
With a 97 per cent score for adult occupant safety, and an 86 per cent average across the board, the T-Cross is among the safest cars tested by Euro NCAP in 2019 so far.
As far as executive saloons go, there are few that can top the safety and security of the ES.
Not only was it awarded Euro NCAP’s ‘best of 2018’ award in the ‘large family car’ class, it was also given the same plaudits in the hybrid and electric class.
When NCAP released its 2019 mid-year bulletin for its tests, the Model 3 shone through for its passenger protection and accident avoidance tech.
With an 87.5 per cent average score across its test, the electric rival to the likes of BMW’s 3 Series is an extremely safe vehicle.
Tested earlier this year, the B-Class is a leap forward compared to most MPVs in the eyes of Euro NCAP, and given it is based on the A-Class, which was bestowed a ‘best-in-class’ award in 2018, this isn’t a surprise.
July 9, 2019