Crash testing organisation Euro NCAP has announced the ‘best in class’ cars of 2011.
The main automotive safety testing organisation in Europe, Euro NCAP, has named the safest new cars of 2011, through its list of 'best in class' awards.
Euro NCAP puts every new car which goes on sale in Europe through a rigorous set of crash tests and safety assessments. Each car is given a rating from 1 to 5 stars in a range of categories, as well as an overall 1-5 star safety rating. At the end of the year the organisation highlights the cars which stand out from the crowd when it comes to safety with a set of best in class awards.
Over the course of 2011, Euro NCAP tested 53 new car models, including the first generation of commercially available Electric Vehicles. 11 out of the 53 cars which were tested managed to gain a 3 star rating, while the lowest score went to the Dacia Duster which was only awarded three stars. The winners of the best in class awards all achieved a top 5 star rating, with good scores across the whole range of assessments, and stood out from the crowd as being the safest new cars of the year.
The winner in the Small off-road 4x4 category was the Audi Q3. In the Supermini category the Chevrolet Aveo took the top prize. The best Small Family Car title went to the Ford Focus, and the Large Family Car title went to the Volvo V60. In the small MPV category the Mercedes B Class got the top award.
In addition to the best in class awards another notable result came from the Nissan LEAF, which this year became the first ever electric vehicle to win a top five star rating. Electric Vehicles go through the same set of tests as their traditionally powered counterparts, but with additional tests to look at post-crash battery integrity.
Each year car manufacturers are improving their safety standards, and to reflect this Euro NCAP are introducing tougher standards for 2012, increasing the minimum score in the pedestrian safety assessment from 40% to 60%.
