The crash testing experts Euro NCAP have announced their latest batch of results, and it is great news for consumers, with five star results across the board for a variety of vehicles, ranging from luxury saloons to family hatchbacks.
The popular Vauxhall Astra, which performed superbly in our review, scored highly across the board, with 86 per cent for adult occupant protection, 84 per cent for child occupants and 83 per cent for pedestrian protection.
Technologies including Lane Departure Warning, Automated Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Alert and Following Distance Indication should all reduce the likelihood of potential accidents. The Astra is also available with a speed limit display in the instrument cluster and a system called OnStar, which can automatically alert the emergency services in the event of a an accident
Despite not even been released in the UK yet, the next-generation Kia Sportage has already been awarded five stars, the same result as the closely related Hyundai Tucson. It scored a particularly impressive 90 per cent for adult occupant protection, with 83 per cent for child occupants.
The upmarket Mercedes GLC crossover has also gained five stars, with a 95 per cent score for adult occupant protection. Using extensive accident research conducted in-house, along with driver assistance systems seen in models including the S-Class, Mercedes has focused on avoiding accidents or mitigating their consequences.
Jaguar has two results to brag about, with five stars for both the new Jaguar XE compact and Jaguar XF executive saloons, with highly competitive scores amongst their rivals. Both feature standard Autonomous Emergency Braking, using a forward facing camera to detect vehicles, alert the driver with audio and visual warnings and even apply the brakes if necessary.
Other features available from Jaguar include Lane Departure Warning, Blind Spot Monitoring, Reverse Traffic Detection, Traffic Sign Recognition and Adaptive Cruise Control.
