BETTER PARTSFlop on Fiat and Ford
Brussels (Belgium), 1 March 2017
Every time EuroNCAP released new crash test results, we're afraid that all cars have gotten five stars. That would indicate high road safety would be but but rather boring to read, or? I'm glad that the criteria be tightened again. So there's not only winners at the latest Crashdurchgang. Five star went to the Audi Q5, the Land Rover Discovery and the Toyota C-HR Slightly worse section of the Citroën C3 with four stars. However, the Fiat 500 and the Ford Ka + received only three stars.
Discovery: Airbag will penetrate
The new generation of the Audi Q5 and the new crossover model Toyota C-HR received both by the Bank good grades. The new Land Rover Discovery was also five stars but not without problems. In the frontal impact with partial coverage, the driver dummy hit the airbag because this developed not enough pressure. And on side impact of the barrier was raised the driver's door off its hinges. EuroNCAP Chief Michiel van Ratingen expresses concern: many planned new models by Jaguar Land Rover in the next few years the security should not neglected, said the expert.
Fiat 500 and Ford Ka + outdated
The Fiat 500 is still popular after its launch ten years, says EuroNCAP. It is not quite clear why the car (with the no longer dewy face lift by 2015) was tested again. In any case, the test is interesting: in 2007, the city generated yet the full number of stars, with the more stringent requirements by 2017, there were only three. Also the new Ford Ka + no better section. Small car customers are price-sensitive, says EuroNCAP. Therefore, manufacturers tended to save the security and prefer to accentuate the chic design. So the belt tensioners and belt force limiters are missing at the 500 at the k + for the rear seats a security feature that is standard nowadays in the most other new cars.
"Better to wait on a completely new 500"
When the frontal with full coverage 500 driver and rear-seat passengers are protected at the Fiat badly. The high burden of the chest was criticized at k +. Ford let down at the k + with "medium security". The sophisticated restraint systems missing car, which offer the most competitors, not to mention an emergency braking system. The latter is missing even in the 500. The Citroën C3 section much better: he missed the five stars just because of insufficient security in the collision with a pedestrian. Bad truncation of the 500 van Ratingen advises to wait for better "on the new 500". He was however not yet been officially announced. Whether van Ratingen there know more? It should be interesting. (sl)