Starting next year it will be tougher for carmakers to earn a top score as regulators are planning to introduce an all-new rating system. There are still areas of safety that the EuroNCAP believes is need of improvement - namely the area of pedestrian safety. No carmaker has yet claimed a top score of four stars in pedestrian protection, with most averaging about two stars.
 

Euro NCAP today releases the results for five cars in five different vehicle classes: the Daihatsu Cuore, Hyundai i30, Lancia Delta, Renault Koleos and the Mercedes Benz - ML class. Four of these five cars received the maximum five-star award for adult occupant protection. Yet, not one of them achieved higher than a two star score in Euro NCAP’s pedestrian rating. Euro NCAP plans to address this concern with the launch of a new rating system in 2009.

When Euro NCAP was established in 1997 the achievement of five stars in adult occupant protection did not even seem possible. Ten years later, out of the 34 car models tested and assessed by Euro NCAP in one year, 97% of them achieve either a four or a five star result. Yet there are still areas of safety that Euro NCAP believes need to be prioritised by manufacturers and where lives could be saved. In comparison to these good adult occupant protection results, no manufacturer achieves a four star result in pedestrian protection. In our tests last year, 67% of models were awarded just two stars in this rating, despite approaching legislation.

Euro NCAP is concerned that many manufacturers set out to achieve high scores for adult occupant protection to attract consumers, whilst compromising safety investment in other areas. Euro NCAP believes that consumers are interested in the safety offered to all occupants and also to other road users when they are choosing a new car. For this reason, Euro NCAP is developing a new rating system that will reward the overall safety of a vehicle.

The maximum rating in Euro NCAP’s new system will continue to be five stars. However, the new overall rating will reflect the protection offered to adult and child occupants as well as pedestrians and will, for the first time, consider the safety potential of advanced driver assistance technologies such as electronic stability control. The assessment of adult occupant protection will be expanded to include whiplash testing.

Michiel van Ratingen, Secretary General of Euro NCAP declaired: ‘I am delighted that more and more manufacturers are achieving five stars in our crash-tests, but it is imperative that Euro NCAP continues to set higher benchmarks for car makers to aspire to. Our new rating system will do this. I have no doubt that manufacturers will step up to the challenge, just as they did when we first started. The creation of new technologies means enhanced safety performance and a potential reduction of fatalities on our roads. We intend to reward those manufacturers that make this their ultimate goal.’

The first results for vehicles tested under the new rating system will be presented in February 2009.

Of the five cars whose results are released today, four achieved Euro NCAP’s maximum five-star rating for Adult Occupant Protection. Only two of the five cars achieved a four star score in Child Occupant Protection.

Results released today are for cars in the categories Supermini, Small Family, Large Family, Small Off-Roader and Large Off-Roader.

Results:
Daihatsu Cuore:
adults - 4 stars
Childs - 3 stars  
Pedestrians - 2 stars
Front impact
The occupant compartment and driver footwell remained stable during the impact. The deployment speed of the passenger's airbag gave cause for concern over possible injuries to the passenger's face and eyes. The steering column, ignition barrel and power steering motor presented a potential risk of injury to the driver's femurs. The glove box lid and its support brackets presented a risk to the passenger's femurs. As a result both the driver's and passenger's femurs were rated as marginal.

Side impact
In the side impact the chest was rated as marginal due to the high load transmitted through the driver's spine. As the vehicle was not equipped with a head protecting curtain airbag no pole test was performed.

Child-protection
The passenger's airbag can be disabled to allow a rearward facing child restraint to be used in that seating position. However, information presented to the users regarding the status of the airbag is not sufficiently clear. The label warning against using a rearward facing child restraint in that position without disabling the airbag was clear and permanently attached. The presence of ISOFIX anchorages in the rear outboard seats was not clearly marked.

Pedestrian protection
The bonnet leading edge offered only a poor level of protection for a pedestrian's legs and the bonnet top where a child's head could impact was also rated as predominantly poor.

Hyunday i30:
adults - 5 stars
Childs - 4 stars  
Pedestrians - 2 stars
Front impact
Hyundai modified the i30 to improve the protection of the driver's knees and femurs. Dummy readings for that body region were better than those of the earlier car, although points were still lost for structures such as the steering column and ignition barrel which could present a hazard to the upper legs of drivers of different sizes or those sat in different positions. The occupant compartment and driver footwell remained stable during the impact.

Side impact
0

Child-protection
The passenger airbag can be disabled to allow a rearward facing child restraint to be used in that seating position. However, information provided to the driver about the status of the airbag is not sufficiently clear. The label warning of the dangers of using a rearward facing child restraint without first disabling the airbag was not clear and was visible only when the passenger's sun visor was stowed. The presence of ISOFIX anchorages in the rear seats was not clearly marked.

Pedestrian protection
Protection for the head of a struck child was predominantly fair. However, protection of adults' heads was poor, as was the protection offered by the front edge of the bonnet.

Lancia Delta:
adults - 5 stars
Childs - 3 stars  
Pedestrians - 2 stars
Front impact
The occupant compartment and footwell remained stable during the impact. The dummy results showed that the front seat occupants' knees and femurs were well protected. Lancia showed that the restraint systems would provide similar levels of protection to the legs of different sized occupants and to those sat in different seating positions.

Side impact
The car scored maximum points for its performance in the side impact and pole tests.

Child-protection
In the frontal impact, the chest of the 3 year dummy was exposed to high vertical accelerations, indicating a risk of injury. The passenger's airbag can be disabled via the onboard computer to allow a rearward facing child restraint to be used in that seating position. However, information presented to the users regarding the status of the airbag is not sufficiently clear. The label warning against using a rearward facing child restraint in that position without disabling the airbag was provided in all of the languages where the vehicle is sold. The presence of ISOFIX anchorages in the rear outboard seats was not clearly marked.

Pedestrian protection
The bonnet leading edge offered only a poor level of protection for a pedestrian's legs. The bonnet top was also rated as predominantly poor for the protection offered to an adult's head.

Renault Koleos:
adults - 5 stars
Childs - 4 stars  
Pedestrians - 2 stars
Front impact
The occupant compartment and driver footwell remained stable during the impact. The steering column presented a potential risk of injury to the driver's femurs. The inboard edge of the glove box lid and the end of facia presented a risk to the passenger's femurs resulting in the passenger's femurs being rated as marginal.

Side impact
0

Child-protection
The passenger's airbag can be disabled to allow a rearward facing child restraint to be used in that seating position. However, information presented to the users regarding the status of the airbag is not sufficiently clear. The label warning against using a rearward facing child restraint in that position without disabling the airbag was clear and permanently attached. The presence of ISOFIX anchorages in the rear outboard seats was clearly marked to aid users in the installation of a child seat.

Pedestrian protection
The bonnet leading edge offered only a poor level of protection for a pedestrians' legs. The bonnet top was also rated as predominantly poor for the protection offered to a both a child and adult's head.

Mercedes benz M Class:
adults - 5 stars
Childs - 3 stars  
Pedestrians - 1 star
Front impact
The Mercedes ML-Class is fitted as standard with 'Pre-Safe'. This system senses when an accident is likely to happen and optimises occupant safety by priming the restraint system. In Euro NCAP's test, 'Pre-Safe' was not engaged so the results reflect the vehicle's performance using only its conventional restraint systems. The occupant compartment and footwell remained stable during the impact. The dummy results showed that the front seat occupants knees and femurs were well protected. Mercedes showed with the use of knee mapping that the driver knee airbag and passenger restraint system would provide similar protection to occupants of different sizes and to those sat in different seating positions.

Side impact
The car scored maximum points for its performance in the side impact and pole tests.

Child-protection
The label warning of the risks associated with using a child seat on the front passenger seat and the passenger airbag status information that was presented to users wanting to install a child restraint on the front passenger seat were insufficient. A system is available as an option on the ML-Class which automatically recognises when a similarly equipped child restraint is fitted to the front passenger seat and disables the airbag. The system was not fitted to either the test vehicle or Mercedes branded child restraint. Without this equipment, a rearward facing child restraint should not be used in the front passenger seat as the airbag cannot be manually disabled. The presence of ISOFIX anchorages was not clearly marked.

Pedestrian protection
The bumper and bonnet leading edge offered only poor protection for a pedestrians' legs. The bonnet top was also rated as predominantly poor for the protection offered to a child's head.