Latest EuroNCAP Crash Test Results Show Safety Improvements Across the Board

This session also saw the testing of a couple of compact two-seat roadsters, namely the BMW Z4 and the brand new

Both compact two-seat roadsters tested, the BMW Z4 and Europe-only Opel Tigra, scored 4 out of 5 stars. (Photo: EuroNCAP)

Europe-only Opel Tigra - made by General Motors' German automaker. Both cars achieved four stars, decent scores considering each car's compact sizes. The two-seat roadster tests were done without child seats as room was not available. Achieving high scores such as this is no easy feat, considering the fact that when these cars are crash tested, they are run with their roofs down, to simulate a worst case scenario.

The surprising fact about this test section was the sheer dominance of five-star rated cars classified as "family cars." This category includes cars such as the Opel Astra,

Toyota's gasoline-electric hybrid Prius HEV earned full marks for the frontal offset and side impact tests. (Photo: EuroNCAP)

the same nameplate that was once sold in North America as the 1990 - 1993 Pontiac Le Mans, plus the all-new Volkswagen Golf. Also on the five-star list is Volvo's new S40. Each cars in this category earned full marks for the frontal offset and side impact tests, including Toyota's gasoline-electric hybrid Prius HEV. In just five years, smaller cars that previously struggled to earn four stars are now acing the NCAP.

The same family vehicles received four-star ratings for child protection and reasonably good ratings for pedestrian impact as well, except for the four-seat convertibles. These didn't do quite as well in the last two categories, with the 9-3 Cabrio achieving only a single point while the Volkswagen Golf reached higher with a three star (53 percent) rating.