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Renault Espace IV achieves 5 stars and best ever test score
Latest Test Results from Euro NCAP launched in London

Renault?s Espace IV has achieved the best result of any car tested in Europe?s leading independent crash tests, confirmed Euro NCAP today (26). Five other cars, the BMW X5, Peugeot 807, Saab 9-5, Toyota Avensis and the Volvo XC90, also achieved five stars.

Crashworthiness results for executive cars, family cars, small family cars, super-minis, 4X4?s, large MPV?s, small MPV?s and roadsters were launched at a press conference in London co-hosted by Euro NCAP, The AA Motoring Trust and the FIA Foundation.

All six ?five star? manufacturers have met the requirements of Euro NCAP?s new seat belt reminder protocol. Euro NCAP?s star rating is based on occupants being ?belted?, thus seat belt reminder systems are vitally important. All of the safety gains achieved by Euro NCAP over recent years would be completely wasted if car occupants don?t buckle up before every journey.
In the latest tests pedestrian protection has improved overall with VW?s Touran joining the MG TF as the second European designed and manufactured car to achieve a 3 star rating.
There is an increasing use of the so called ISOFIX child restraints which in many cases provided good protection in our tests.

Max Mosley, Euro NCAP Chairman and President of the FIA said,

?In January 2000 Euro NCAP introduced a fifth star to its rating system, some manufacturers felt achieving a five star score would be impossible, but today, twelve cars have gained five star status.

?Particular praise must be given to Renault, not only was the Laguna the first car to achieve a five star score, four of their models have now achieved five star status (Espace, Laguna, Mégane, Vel Satis) and the Renault Espace has become the highest scoring car ever tested by Euro NCAP.

?More than ever before car manufacturers have realised that safety not only saves lives but also sells cars.?


Summary of results:


Executive cars
Occupant Protection Pedestrian Protection
Saab 9-5 5 stars Not tested to new protocol


Familiy cars

Toyota Avensis 5 stars 1 star
Honda Accord 4 stars 2 stars
Vauxhall/Opel Signum 4 stars 1 star


Small Family cars

Peugeot 307CC 4 stars 2 stars


Superminis

Citroën C3 Pluriel 4 stars 2 stars
Nissan Micra 4 stars 2 stars
Renault Twingo 3 stars 2 stars


Large 4x4s

BMW X5 5 stars 1 star
Volvo XC90 5 stars 2 stars
KIA Sorento 4 stars 1 star


Large MPVs

Peugeot 807 5 stars 1 star
Renault Espace 5 stars 2 stars
Hyundai Trajet 3 stars 1 star
KIA Sedona/Carnival 2 stars 1 star


Small MPVs

Ford Fusion 4 stars 2 stars
VW Touran 4 stars 3 stars


Roadsters

MG TF 4 stars 3 stars


David Jamieson, UK Transport Minister said,

"I am pleased that more and more cars now achieve four or five stars for occupant protection. Progress on improving pedestrian protection scores has been slow, with very few vehicles achieving three stars to date. Euro NCAP pedestrian scores will have to improve before the proposed European Directive on pedestrian protection begins to take effect in 2005".


John Dawson, Director, The AA Motoring Trust said,

"This programme has been a huge success and has made a genuine difference to car occupant safety in a very short space of time. In 1997 the average safety rating was two stars, but today it is four stars, which shows what responsible manufacturers can do. Yet there are still wide variations in performance. The Kia Sedona/Carnival MPV has produced the lowest score since June 2001, in sharp contrast to the Renault Espace, which has achieved the highest score ever seen."


Wilfried Klanner, Testing and Technical Manager for the ADAC said,

?Again Euro NCAP points out huge differences in car safety. Six models reach today's maximum of 5 stars, among them the Toyota Avensis, the first car with knee airbags to prevent leg injuries. The Kia Sedona/Carnival only scores 2 stars by significantly failing today's standard in frontal impact performance.?


Guido Adriaenssens, ICRT Chief Executive said,

?The car industry continues to respond positively to Euro NCAP tests and the Phase 12 series sees a new leader in the 'highest ever score' list, as well as some remarkable new innovations like the knee airbag in the Toyota Avensis. In the early years of Euro NCAP 2 or 3 star ratings were usual, but today we are able to recommend a wide range of 4 or 5 star cars in all categories. We would like all manufacturers to continue to aim for even higher levels of protection - the Volvo 90, for example, combines a 5 star rating with good protection for children travelling in the back.

?The results of the more sophisticated side impact test used in Phase 12 also show that manufacturers can meet the requirements and that this technically more advanced procedure should be included in legislation.

?One disappointment was the frontal impact results of the Kia Sedona/Carnival. It is one of the very few cars tested by Euro NCAP that was
developed primarily for the US market and these cars appear to have performed significantly worse than their European and Japanese counterparts.?


Editors note:

1. Organisations contributing to Euro NCAP include the Departments of Transport of Sweden, The Netherlands, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Catalonia as well as the European Commission, the FIA Foundation, the Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club (ADAC) and the International Consumer Research and Testing (ICRT) on behalf of the European consumer organisations.

2. The results are announced in London.

3. Future Phases will continue with testing of new cars in the existing groups.

4. Australia has adopted the same testing protocols as Euro NCAP and they are publishing results from Euro NCAP that are applicable in their market. The Euro NCAP testing protocols are unique in that they include tests for front, side impact and pole impact and also gives information on pedestrian and child protection.

5. The front impact test is conducted at 64km/h (40mph) into an offset deformable barrier, the side impact test 50km/h (30mph), the pole test at 29km/h (18mph) and the pedestrian tests at 40km/h (25mph).

6. The full results will be on the web site www.euroncap.com from 26 June.

Per quanto continuo a pensare che i risultati dei test ncap lascino il tempo che trovano, ritengo davvero sorprendenti le 4 stelle del Sorento. Non per altro ma credo che nessun veicolo con telaio a longheroni (e non a scocca portante) abbia fatto tanto.

Se poi si considera il peso non indifferente direi che và benone! Ma i nuovi suv non li provano ancora?