The latest set of safety ratings from Euro NCAP underlines the challenges the organisation faces in the coming years as some vehicles become more sophisticated and some budget brands try to opt out. With 15 cars tested, many now feature accident prevention technologies not yet recognised in the ratings, while one notably failed to try for five stars: the Dacia Lodgy.
The budget MPV scored just three stars. Euro NCAP is criticising Dacia’s lack of ambition on safety and is drawing attention to the fact that the rear passenger floor panel and tunnel completely separated in the test.
Secretary General Dr Michiel van Ratingen is also pointing out that Dacia decided not to make ESC standard equipment, exploiting the last possible opportunity before the technology became mandatory. Van Ratingen said: “It’s disappointing to see the Lodgy do badly in our tests, especially just a week after the Sandero, branded a Renault in South America, was given a poor one star rating by Latin NCAP.”
With 15 cars tested, many now feature accident prevention technologies not yet recognised in the ratings, while one notably failed to try for five stars: the Dacia Lodgy
This is the kind of miscalculation that can set the public against a new brand early on. It’s interesting that Renault is taking the risk, particularly when the brand made so much progress before the financial crisis by making cars with five-star safety more affordable.
Other companies are clearly less willing to allow crashworthiness to be a differentiator between their brands. It’s significant that the SEAT Leon manages to do slightly better than its sister, the Golf in the assessment. Differentiation between the two is limited to the advanced driver assistance options, with the Golf offering lane keeping assistance and other accident prevention technologies.
Other manufacturers are offering a range of technologies that should also improve safety. The Ford Fiesta features a key system that limits the potential for problems when a young driver has the car: the engine map is altered, and the stereo is prevented from playing loudly, particularly if the windows are down.
The rating scheme will have to find better ways of shaming lazy attitudes to safety while encouraging best practice in an electronic market
At the moment, some of these systems are recognised in Euro NCAP’s “Advanced” awards scheme, but not in the vehicle’s overall safety rating. The question of how to make the assessment more relevant is a difficult one. Crash testing evolves slowly, as accident data is analysed, understanding of injury mechanisms improve, dummy technologies and test protocols are adapted.
Advances in camera systems and autonomous driving systems are developing much faster at the moment. Euro NCAP has a roadmap for the next few years that will encourage manufacturers to accelerate the introduction of autonomous emergency braking systems. Some manufacturers are already fitting these as options in significant volumes. Car buyers are increasingly happy to equip their cars with safety apps.
For the last 15 years Euro NCAP has succeeded in leading changes in safety across virtually all manufacturers. In the next decade, the rating scheme will have to find better ways of shaming lazy attitudes to safety while encouraging best practice in an electronic market where the real benefits are difficult to test in a lab.
The opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of Automotive World Ltd.
Tristan Honeywill is an experienced automotive journalist covering technology and business developments in the industry, and the editor of car safety blog www.carsafetyrules.com.
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