Two superminis and a large family sedan are what the peeps from Euro NCAP crash tested as of late. We’ll be blunt with you - the 2015 Skoda Superb was awarded 5 stars, the 2015 Hyundai i20 got 4 stars, and the 2015 Fiat Panda Cross received only 3 stars.
Weighing in at 1,150 kilograms (2,535 lbs), the all-wheel drive Fiat Panda Cross is the average marker of the three-car lot. From the 4 crash tests and single crash avoidance test, Euro NCAP awarded the little mountain goat 3 stars overall and 70 percent for adult occupant protection. In the driver’s case, the head made contact with the steering wheel through the deflating airbag. In the rigid barrier test, protection for the driver’s chest was marginal, as is protection against whiplash injuries for front and rear occupants.
The featherweight 2015 Hyundai i20 in 1.2 GLS format tips the scales at just 1,100 kg (2,425 lbs), it doesn’t boast AWD, yet it managed to one-up the Fiat Panda Cross with four golden stars. According to Euro NCAP, both the side impact barrier and side pole test saw the Korean supermini penalized. Why? The rear edge of the curtain airbag was trapped by a part of the interior trim. Hyundai responded to this finding with an investigation into the cause of the unintended airbag inflator deployment behavior.
Then there’s the 2015 Skoda Superb 2.0 TDI Ambition, a 1,472-kilogram (3,245 lbs) five-door lift back sedan with family-hauling credentials. In terms of adult and child protection, Euro NCAP awarded it 86 percent. The biggest criticisms are the marginal rating for the driver’s torso in the frontal full-width barrier crash, and the marginal rating for the rear seat occupants in a rear impact. All in all, the Superb is a top performer.
As you can see in the video playlist below, Euro NCAP tests include a frontal impact that takes place at 64 km/h (40 mph), with 40 percent of the width of the car striking a deformable barrier. In the full-width crash test, 100 percent of the car’s width strikes a rigid barrier at 50 km/h (31 mph). The side impact crash is a 50 km/h affair too, but the sideways pole test at 32 km/h (20 mph) is the arguably most dramatic crash test.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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