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Why the BMW i3 Got a 4-Star Euro NCAP Rating

The Internet is already boiling up with the BMW i3’s 4-star Euro NCAP crash test result and we’re here to get into the details of this one-star-down score.
BMW i3 Euro NCAP crash test 1 photo
Photo: screenshot from Youtube
A brief look on the BMW i3’s overall safety scores reveals results that are poor given the expectations. The city car received an 86 percent score for adult occupant protection, 82 percent for child occupant protection, 57 percent for pedestrian protection and 55 percent for the safety assist.

The CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced polymer) safety cell of the i3 held its shape well during the frontal impact. The city car provided good protection of the knees and femurs of front passengers when it came to the frontal impact test.

The EV scored the maximum number of points when it came to the side barrier test. The problems start with the more severe pole side impact test, where we only get weak chest protection.

Things aren’t better when it comes to the rear impact test - the front seats and head restraints only offered marginal protection against whiplash injuries.

As for the child protection, the BMW i3 offers good protection and facilitates the easy installation of special restrain system. The car did lose some points though, due to labeling and information issues.

When it came to pedestrian protection, the bumper scored maximum points, but the front edge of the bonnet received no points at all. As for the bonnet itself, this stayed in the Adequate or Marginal zones. The particularly weak areas are the base of the windscreen and the stiff A pillars.

Things are a bit more complicated when it comes to the BMW i3’s safety assist. ESC is standard and meet’s Euro NCAP’s requirements. Alas, there’s no seatbelt reminder for the rear, while the speed limiter offered isn’t expected to meet Euro NCAP’s minimum fitment rate, so it wasn’t take into consideration.

We’re expecting BMW to correct the issues, especially the whiplash-related one.

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About the author: Andrei Tutu
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In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
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