In the olden days of motoring, safety was never really a significant issue. However, in today’s world, we know from previous car accidents how important it is to have airbags installed in our cars. On average, over 13 000 people die annually on South Africa’s roads, which highlights the need for safer vehicles. So, as South African motorists we, like others around the world, are interested in buying safe cars.
The Euro New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) involves the testing of cars when they are made to crash according to strict standards.1
Please be aware that the Euro NCAP specifications are not necessarily valid in Africa. Nevertheless, they may provide some insights into the safety of specific vehicle models. For Africa, we also need to consider testing through Global NCAP and other organisations where applicable. Several cars are referred to which may not be available in the South African market at this time but should make for interesting reading regardless.
What is NCAP?
With the support of consumer organisations and motoring industries, as well as European governments, NCAP was launched in 1996 to make cars as safe as possible for its occupants. NCAP is one of several organisations that set out to achieve this via a specialised standard grading system, which was developed for its New Car Assessment Program.
The AA and Global NCAP
Fortunately for South Africa, the AA has recently partnered with Global NCAP via its ‘Stop the Crash’ campaign. Together, they are aiming to make stability control a standard requirement in all new cars sold in South Africa.
2019 was NCAP’s best year
Euro NCAP announced that 41 out of the 55 new cars assessed in Europe in 2019 obtained the highly-prized five-star accolade. This achievement made 2019 one of the best years since NCAP began.
Some of Europe’s safest cars1
Some of the European vehicles that were included in the list of the safest cars were Mercedes CLA, VW T-Cross, BMW 3Series, Subaru Forester, and Audi A1.
Mercedes CLA achieves the best score
The Mercedes CLA which won in 2018 in the ‘Small Car’ category, was the safest car, exceeding 90% in 3 of the 4 safety areas, and thus achieving the highest overall rating of the year.
Which vehicle snatched the winnings for the ‘Large Off-Road’ category?
In 2019, this was Tesla’s Model X, while the Seat Tarraco came in second place.
The Tesla Model 3 and BMW’s new 3 Series
The Tesla Model 3 clinched top place in the ‘Electric and Hybrid’ vehicles class, but in the ‘Large Family’ category, it shared first place with the BMW’s new 3 Series. The competition between the two carmakers was notable, with BMW performing better in ‘Pedestrian Protection’, while Tesla scored higher in the ‘Safety Assist’ systems.
Mazda and Mercedes-Benz excelled
Both the Mazda CX-30 BEV and the Mazda 3 performed well in the ‘Adult Protection’ test. Mazda came second place to the Mercedes-Benz CLA in the ‘Small Family’ category.
How did Audi and Renault feature?
In the highly competitive “Supermini’ category, Audi’s new A1 tied first place with Renault’s brand-new Clio. Ford Puma was the runner-up in this category.
The outstanding BMW Z24
The BMW Z4 received a special outstanding recognition for its performance, setting a new safety standard as the only roadster in 2019.
It is great to read that safety requirements for new cars sold in South Africa will become much stricter in the future. Perhaps consider getting affordable car insurance for added peace of mind when driving your vehicle? Why don’t you contact PMD, and find out more about affordable car insurance with unique perks such as fixed premiums and a reduce to zero excess? T’s and C’s apply.
This article was prepared by Eric Sandmann in his personal capacity. The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own. The views and opinions in the article should not be attributed to anyone but the author unless expressly stated. Nothing in this article should be relied upon as advice, this publication is presented for informational purposes only. No person should act or refrain from acting in reliance on any information found in this article, without first obtaining proper financial advice from the appropriate professional. The author makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, or completeness, of any information linked from, referred to, or contained in this article. The author reserves the right, to edit and change the content of this article.
Source:
https://www.timeslive.co.za/motoring/news/2020-01-09-euro-ncap-announces-safest-cars-of-2019/
