Mixed results in the latest Euro NCAP safety tests of 2021

The Euro NCAP safety organisation has just published its latest ratings from its 2021 tests. On this occasion, it tested eleven models, of which only seven achieved the coveted five stars: the BMW iX, the Genesis GV70, the Genesis G70, the Mercedes-Benz EQ EQS, the Nissan Qashqai, the Volkswagen Caddy and the Skoda Fabia.

The Fiat 500e and the MG Marvel R have achieved four stars. Not all the results are good: the Dacia Spring has obtained just one Euro NCAP star, while the Renault ZOE has not earned any stars at all. The new holders of the coveted five stars from the safety organisation belong to different segments, ranges, price points and powertrains. It is worth mentioning the Nissan Qashqai, which stood out in safety assist systems. Meanwhile, the Mercedes-Benz EQ EQS stands out for adult and child occupant protection.

This is how the latest Euro NCAP safety tests of 2021 went

Michiel van Ratingen, Secretary General of Euro NCAP, noted that “well done to these manufacturers for offering consumers the levels of safety they expect. These results make it clear, once again, that safety is about good engineering, and not so much about the type of powertrain or the price itself”.

https://youtu.be/jbERFwdd2u4

Not all the results have been good. Although the updated Renault ZOE is one of the first electric cars to reach the market in 2013, it has failed to establish itself as one of the best electric cars of the year. In the mid-life update, the rhombus brand replaced the side airbag that protected the head and chest with one that only protects the chest. Its collision protection is “poor” and it does not feature “significant technology to avoid collisions”.

The Secretary General of Euro NCAP added that “Renault was once synonymous with safety. The Renault Laguna was the first car to obtain five stars, in 2001. But these disappointing results for the ZOE and the Dacia Spring show that safety has become collateral damage in the group’s transition towards electric cars. Just a few months ago, Dacia stated that it ‘always worried about increasing passenger safety’ and that its cars always improved occupant safety. It is clear that this is not the case: these cars not only offer no appreciable active safety as standard, but their occupant protection is worse than that of any vehicle we have seen in many years. It is cynical to offer consumers an affordable green car if the price is a higher risk of injury in an accident. Other cars, such as the FIAT 500e, recently awarded 5 stars by Green NCAP, demonstrate that there is no need to sacrifice safety for environmental cleanliness”.

The Dacia Spring has not fared well either. It is a derivative of the Renault Kwid and, according to the safety organisation, “its performance in crash tests is frankly problematic, with a high risk of fatal injury to the driver’s chest and the rear passenger’s head in frontal crash tests, and marginal chest protection in the side impact. The mediocre crash test performance and the limited collision avoidance technology mean that the Dacia Spring receives one star”.