Euro NCAP announces its safest cars of 2019

Euro NCAP has revealed its safest cars of last year from the new models that earned its top five star ranking for the best safety features during 2019, in what, said the organisation, was an outstanding year for safety features.

Some 55 cars were assessed amongst which 41 achieved the top accolade. This made 2019 one of the most impressive years on record since Euro NCAP started to evaluate consumer safety of cars on the European market.

The results showed that Mercedes-Benz regained its crown in the best performing Small Family Car category with the CLA, which achieved a score of more than 90% in three of the four areas of safety and delivered the best overall rating of the year.

Tesla’s Model X was the 2019 winner in the Large Off-Road category, with the SEAT Tarraco in second place. The Tesla Model 3 was top of the ‘Electric and Hybrid’ vehicle class and, together with BMW’s 3 Series, shared 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 ahead in Safety Assist. Škoda’s new Octavia was the runner-up in this category.

In the combined Small Off-road/Small MPV class, Subaru took the lead with the new Forester, with excellent all-round performance, followed closely by Mazda’s CX-30 and VW’s T-Cross.

In the Supermini class, the Audi A1 tied with the Renault Clio, and both have been among Europe’s most popular and desirable hatchbacks for years. Their latest generations arrived in 2019 and came out equally well in safety tests. Newcomer Ford Puma was 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,” said Euro NCAP.

Finally, the BMW Z4 was the only roadster tested in 2019 but was said by Euro NCAP to set a new safety benchmark for the segment.

Euro NCAP’s Best in Class winners for 2019 were:

Large Family Car Winner: Tesla Model 3 & BMW 3 series

Runner-up: Škoda Octavia

Large Off-Road Winner: Tesla Model X

Runner-up: SEAT Tarraco

Small Family Car Winner: Mercedes-Benz CLA

Runner-up: Mazda 3

Small Off-Road/MPV Winner: Subaru Forester

Runner-up: Mazda CX-30 & VW T-Cross

Supermini Winner: Audi A1 & Renault Clio

Runner-up: Ford Puma

Hybrid & Electric Winner: Tesla Model 3

Runner-up: Tesla Model X

A spokesman for Euro NCAP said: “To define the Best in Class, a calculation is made of the weighted sum of the scores in each of the four areas of assessment: Adult Occupant, Child Occupant, Pedestrian and Safety Assist.

“This sum is used as the basis for comparison of the vehicles. Cars qualify for ‘Best in Class’ based only on their rating with standard safety equipment. Additional ratings based on optional equipment are excluded.

“Since 2018, Euro NCAP has also given an award for the best safety performance of the electric and hybrid cars it has tested. Although these cars may be in different size categories, it is hoped that the award will guide consumers who are looking for maximum safety from their electric or hybrid vehicle.”