Marco_NB8A wrote:NCAP has lost its way. Four stars because it doesn't have auto emergency braking - but that won't actually help you AFTER you've hit something....which was the whole point of NCAP testing.
Maybe there needs to be two tests: primary safety, ie crash avoidance, which would test these types of safety features plus braking distance, roadholding, overtaking performance etc. And then secondary safety, which is how well the car protects its occupants in a crash.
There was a bit more than just the lack of auto emergency braking - the report can be found here:
http://euroncap.blob.core.windows.net/m ... asheet.pdfResults for the driver in the front offset were adequate for the chest, legs and head. Lateral impact result for the driver was adequate for the chest in the car test, marginal for the pole test.
I'd suggest the impact test results were sufficient for the four star result. Let's face it - a one tonne car four metres long is never going to make four stars.
I don't have a problem with the NCAP being used to push safety advances like auto braking, safety belt reminders, traction control, ABS, ESC all that sort of stuff. Like all drivers, we're all above average here, but cars are used in the real world where people are on the phone, the road network is a mass of poor design, maintenance and distractions. Anything that can be used to prevent the 'real world' driver running their hatchback into the back of my car while they text is fine by me.