VW Golf named safest car of 2009

Euro NCAP has released the top five highest-scoring cars that went through its crash test programme in 2009.

The top-rated model was the popular Volkswagen Golf closely followed by the Honda Insight and Toyota Prius in second and third place. The smallest car to make it into the list was the Hyundai i20 which came in fourth. Fifth place was shared by the Toyota Avensis, Volvo XC60 and Vauxhall Astra.

Euro NCAP - independent assessors of safety performance - crash tested 33 car models in 2009, putting every model through four crash tests, a component test and an assessed inspection before awarding it with an overall rating. 

During individual tests, the Golf was ranked highest for adult occupant protection at 97% whilst the Avensis achieved 86% for child occupant protection. The Toyota Prius reached 68% for pedestrian protection whilst the Astra and XC60 failed reach 50%. Nearly all the top-five cars achieved 86% for safety assist, though the Astra and Golf lagged behind at 71%.

Dr Michiel van Ratingen, Secretary General of Euro NCAP says “This is the first time we can calculate results that demonstrate an overall safety performance. Even though these cars excel in different areas of safety, their presence in the top-five list indicates that they are among the top safety achievers of the year”.
 
The worst performers of 2009 were the Suzuki Alto and Toyota Urban Cruiser, which managed only three stars, although Toyota has since questioned the result.

In 2010, the threshold to achieve Euro NCAP’s maximum five stars rises from 75% to 80% in Adult Occupant Protection and from 70% to 75% in Child Occupant Protection. The first results for vehicles tested under this stricter assessment will be released on 3rd March 2010.

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Glenn Nutsey

28/01/2010