Five-star safety for Renault Koleos New Koleos aces Euro NCap crash test, among others
28 August 2008
Four of the five cars crash-tested in the latest Euro NCap assessment scored top marks for adult occupant protection, it was announced this week - including Renault’s new Koleos 4x4.
Only Daihatsu’s supermini – the Cuore – dropped a rating, scoring four stars out of a possible five.
Euro NCap welcomed the results, saying a five-star rating for adult occupant protection ‘did not even seem possible’ when the organisation was launched in 1997.
Now, 97% of the models it tests in a year score four or five stars for their ability to protect adult passengers.
Young passengers
Although the five cars featured in the latest round of testing all offer good protection to adults inside the car, just two of them received above average scores for protecting child occupants.
Renault’s first ‘true’ 4x4, the Koleos, and the Hyundai i30 hatchback scored four stars for child safety, while the Daihatsu Cuore, Lancia Delta and Mercedes Benz ML-class managed only three.
Like many large off-roaders, the Mercedes scored just one star for pedestrian protection, while the other four models on test scored slightly better with a two-star rating.
Euro NCap ratings
In response to some low scores for child and pedestrian protection, Euro NCap plans to overhaul its rating system so it clearly rewards the overall safety of vehicles.
‘Euro NCap believes that consumers are interested in the safety offered to all occupants and also to other road users when they are choosing a new car,’ a spokesperson said.
