Euro NCAP has crash tested some of Europe’s best-selling vans
When put to the test, which of Europe's favourite best selling vans would pass or fail standard safety requirements? That question has been answered by a recent Euro NCAP test. In a recent press release, Euro NCAP has announced that they have crash tested some of Europe’s best-selling business and family vans using protocols that are more true-to-life than the current legal tests for these van-based vehicles.
Euro NCAP is a European car safety performance assessment programme based in Brussels. It was founded in 1997 by the Transport Research Laboratory for the UK Department for Transport. It is also backed by several European governments, including the European Union.
The safety organisation is calling on manufacturers to offer these vehicles with higher levels of safety equipment and for legislators to review their lenient legal safety requirements. By performing these tests and informing the manufacturers of the results, let's hope consumers will see more advanced safety elements included in vans on the market in the future.
So which van achieved a full 5 star rating? Here are the results as posted in the press release:
In the tests, the Ford Transit Custom was the only vehicle to score five stars. The Hyundai H1 scored three stars. The Fiat Scudo also scored three stars while the Renault Trafic scored two stars. Some of these vehicles are also rebadged and sold by other manufacturers. The Fiat Scudo is available as the Peugeot Expert and Citroën Jumpy. The Renault Trafic also sells as the Vauxhall/Opel Vivaro and Nissan Primastar.
Dr Michiel van Ratingen, Secretary General of Euro NCAP, said: “This time around Euro NCAP has focused on van variants that offer 8 to 9 seats. These vehicles are often used for business or considered by families as alternatives to large MPVs. Being derived from commercial van platforms, these people-carriers are updated less regularly and are generally less equipped for safety than normal passenger cars. If you have a family with a lot of kids and are tempted to buy such a vehicle, please be aware that they often do not offer the latest state of the art in vehicle safety.”
The full results showing how each van fared is posted on the NCAP website. I had a look and was surprised at some of the results. To see the Renault Trafic receive the lowest score in the Safety Assist category and only average or below in others cemented its low 2 star rating. Some of the manufacturers have responded to the report and pledge to review their safety measures and improve on them in the future.
To see the full results and to view a video relating to the test results, please click here.
Euro NCAP is a European car safety performance assessment programme based in Brussels. It was founded in 1997 by the Transport Research Laboratory for the UK Department for Transport. It is also backed by several European governments, including the European Union.
The safety organisation is calling on manufacturers to offer these vehicles with higher levels of safety equipment and for legislators to review their lenient legal safety requirements. By performing these tests and informing the manufacturers of the results, let's hope consumers will see more advanced safety elements included in vans on the market in the future.
So which van achieved a full 5 star rating? Here are the results as posted in the press release:
In the tests, the Ford Transit Custom was the only vehicle to score five stars. The Hyundai H1 scored three stars. The Fiat Scudo also scored three stars while the Renault Trafic scored two stars. Some of these vehicles are also rebadged and sold by other manufacturers. The Fiat Scudo is available as the Peugeot Expert and Citroën Jumpy. The Renault Trafic also sells as the Vauxhall/Opel Vivaro and Nissan Primastar.
Dr Michiel van Ratingen, Secretary General of Euro NCAP, said: “This time around Euro NCAP has focused on van variants that offer 8 to 9 seats. These vehicles are often used for business or considered by families as alternatives to large MPVs. Being derived from commercial van platforms, these people-carriers are updated less regularly and are generally less equipped for safety than normal passenger cars. If you have a family with a lot of kids and are tempted to buy such a vehicle, please be aware that they often do not offer the latest state of the art in vehicle safety.”
The full results showing how each van fared is posted on the NCAP website. I had a look and was surprised at some of the results. To see the Renault Trafic receive the lowest score in the Safety Assist category and only average or below in others cemented its low 2 star rating. Some of the manufacturers have responded to the report and pledge to review their safety measures and improve on them in the future.
To see the full results and to view a video relating to the test results, please click here.
Comments
Post a Comment