Euro NCAP’s Best of the Best of 2019

O-Mag

Thu, 09.01.2020

Euro NCAP publishes its Best in Class for 2019. Fifty-five cars were assessed among which forty-one achieved the top accolade. This makes 2019 one of the most impressive years on record since Euro NCAP started to evaluate consumer safety of cars on the European market.

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 we have 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 our 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.