Today, Euro NCAP releases the safety ratings for several car models, including the Audi Q6 e-tron, the Ford Explorer, the Jeep Avenger, the Renault Symbioz, the Subaru Crosstrek, and the Xpeng G6. The biggest surprise is the award-winning Jeep Avenger achieving only a three-star rating.
The Audi Q-6 e-tron, the Ford Explorer, the Xpeng G6, the Subaru Crosstrek, and partner model Impreza all delivered a five-star performance in Euro NCAP’s recent round of testing. There are some truly excellent results amongst these new models. The Q6 e-tron, in particular, demonstrates a very strong performance in adult and child occupant protection. The new Renault Symbioz achieved four stars, a result it shares with its partner model, the Captur. This is a step down from the five stars awarded to previous Captur generations in 2013 and 2019.
Renault is a brand with a proud safety history and was one of the very first carmakers to be awarded with a five-star rating. The four-star rating of the Symbioz and the Captur is a sign that, although these cars made a solid impression, Renault no longer seems to be striving for the top spot. Audi, Ford, Subaru, and Xpeng, on the other hand, are maintaining their high safety ambitions. Euro NCAP congratulates them for their five-star ratings and for continuing to set a standard for others to follow.
— Dr. Michiel van Ratingen, Secretary General Euro NCAP
In October 2022, the Avenger was announced as Jeep’s first 100% electric vehicle. It immediately garnered great attention from families for its overall design and sustainable ambitions, even quoted as ‘revolutionising its segment.’ The car proceeded to win a host of awards, including 2023 European Car of The Year, Best Family SUV of 2023 in the Women’s World Car of the Year Awards, and Electric City Car in the Top Gear UK Electric Awards 2023 as well as many others, and helped Stellantis to a big profit in 2023. However, it appears that the Avenger’s safety credentials were taken at face value and never challenged, which is what motivated Euro NCAP to test the car.
Despite all the plaudits, the Jeep Avenger achieves a mediocre three-star rating in Euro NCAP’s safety tests. For a car focused on family transport, it is particularly surprising that the Avenger provided poor chest protection to a 10-year-old in the side impact crash test and is not equipped with a child presence detection system, already standard in competitors’ cars. Moreover, Euro NCAP found that the forward collision warning system’s audio signal was not effective. Following Euro NCAP’s persistence, the carmaker has improved the warning signal on current production vehicles and is offering owners of existing cars the chance to have their cars updated. Still, the Avenger performed poorly in several crash avoidance tests with pedestrians, motorcyclists, and cyclists.
These test results demonstrate a clear lack of ambition for a manufacturer that has shown much innovation in its car design and for a brand that is directly targeting the family segment. There is growing competition in the car industry, and Stellantis has had to take several steps to secure the future of its brands. But safety should not be where a car manufacturer makes its savings. Euro NCAP will continue to highlight shortcomings in this area, for the benefit of European car-buyers.
— Dr. Michiel van Ratingen, Secretary General Euro NCAP
Finally, Euro NCAP also delivers the result of five stars to BYD’s SEAL-U PHEV variant of the SEAL-U 2023.
SOURCE: Euro NCAP
