Euro NCAP Tests 14 New Models as Carmakers Rush to Avoid 2023 Protocols

If you noticed Euro NCAP rushing dozens of tests in the past months, there’s a reason for that. Carmakers are hurrying to have their new models tested following the 2022 procedure because the protocol will become tougher from 2023 onwards. That’s why, instead of the usual 5-7 cars that Euro NCAP crash-tests every month, we’ve seen 30 vehicles smashed to pieces in less than 30 days. Well, technically, there are a lot more than that because you can only crash a car once, and there are several types of crashes for each car model that needs to be assessed.

Thankfully, this horrific Carmageddon was not for nothing because this is how we know the safest cars we can buy in Europe. The latest round proved again that carmakers take safety very seriously, with ten out of 14 car models earning the maximum five-star rating. The carmakers themselves pushed to have their new cars tested, fully expecting to receive a five-star rating, although not all of them got it.

We’d start with those that didn’t to get the bad news out of the way. Ford Puma and Volkswagen Touran, both reassessments of aging but updated cars, missed out on five stars due to challenges in adult occupant protection. More disappointing was the Peugeot 408’s result in a segment that is flush with five-star models. Citroën C4X also scored four stars, reflecting the results of the C4 tested in 2021.

The five-star festival began with the Lucid Air, which received its first European accolade in this round of Euro NCAP tests. The electric luxury sedan impressed the test team thanks to its safety technologies, although it placed slightly below the Tesla Model S tested last month. Other premium vehicles like Lexus RX, Land Rover Discovery Sport, and Mercedes-Benz GLC joined Lucid Air in this achievement.

The Chinese brands continued their streak with impressive safety results in this round. Chery proved its five-star-worthiness with the OMODA5 small off-roader, while SAIC’s Maxus and MG brands got their five-star badges for the MIFA 9 and MG 4, respectively.

The battery-electric Volkswagen ID. Buzz was also tested in this round, with impressive results. Nevertheless, combustion-engined twins Ford Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok impressed even more, proving that pickup trucks can also be safe, despite previous results. Rounding the five-star list is the Skoda Octavia, a very popular model, especially in Eastern Europe.