New Mercedes-Benz A-Class Awarded 5 Stars by Euro NCAP

The A-Class can be ordered with Mercedes’ PRE-SAFE system that prepares the restraint and protection systems when it detects an imminent collision, but since this is optional, the tested vehicles were not fitted with the system.

In the frontal impact test, dummy readings showed a good protection for all the body areas of the driver and passenger, with the exception of the femurs, where both legs of the driver received “adequate” ratings and the left femur of the passenger showed a similar rating.

When the A-Class was tested against a side barrier, it scored maximum points, offering good protection for all areas of the occupants’ bodies. The more severe side pole impact, the protection of the head and pelvis was good and that of the chest and abdomen was adequate.

As for the rear impact test, the seat and head restraint provided a good protection against whiplash injuries. The vehicle was also helped by Mercedes’ 'Collision Prevention Assist' (CPA), a standard feature that assists drivers in avoiding or mitigating longitudinal accidents that can cause the aforementioned injuries.

The vehicle showed a good protection for children, with this being true for all occupants of all ages and in all scenarios. The carmaker offers a sensor system called CPOD as an option - this automatically deactivates the front passenger airbag to allow Mercedes child seats to be used in the rearward-facing position. However, since the system doesn’t accept other kind of child seats, it was not rewarded by Euro NCAP.

The A-Class uses an active bonnet that raises itself when it detects a pedestrian impact. This proved that it worked in various situations, so the test were carried out with the bonnet in the deployed position. The areas that are likely to be hit by an child’s head showed a good protection, with the car scoring the maximum level of points for this. The same level of protection was provided for adults, but poor protection was offered for the areas where the head could strike the windshield, for example. As for the front edge of the bonnet, this offered poor protection, while the bumper provided good protection for all tested areas, thus being awarded the maximum number of points.