AEB-fitted Giulia, Ateca and Tiguan get five-star Euro NCAP rating

Three new models recently launched by European manufacturers have been independently tested for safety by Euro NCAP. The Alfa Romeo Giulia, the Seat Ateca and the VW Tiguan all received five-star ratings with safety equipment which is fitted as standard throughout the European Union.

The Alfa Romeo Giulia and Seat Ateca achieved a top, five-star score in Euro NCAP tests, with their portfolios of safety equipment crucial in securing the rating. Both feature sophisticated Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) systems that operate in both lower speed (City) and higher speed (Inter-Urban) environments, significantly reducing the likelihood of a crash. The two new cars are also equipped with Pedestrian Protection AEB technology, which is designed to further reduce the risk to vulnerable road users and became part of the Euro NCAP test procedure at the beginning of 2016.

Peter Shaw, chief executive of independent safety expert, Thatcham Research, said, “Alfa Romeo and SEAT deserve praise for the high level of safety technology on these new cars and in particular for including advanced automatic braking as standard. It’s clear that manufacturers are increasingly responding to consumer calls for standard fit safety and simplifying the buying decision. UK motorists can now choose any Giulia or Ateca model and be safe in the knowledge that they and other road users are better protected by a vital technology that is proven to significantly reduce crashes.”

In April, the export model of the Made-in-India Suzuki Baleno became the first car to get a dual rating from Euro NCAP. The car received 3-stars based on the standard safety equipment. It also offers the optional safety pack ‘Radar Brake Support’ which includes AEB City and AEB Inter-Urban system. With the pack included, the Baleno achieved 4 stars. According to Euro NCAP, the optional autonomous braking system on the Baleno with safety pack demonstrated good performance in its tests and thus resulted in a higher rating.

Euro NCAP’s Secretary General Michiel van Ratingen, commented: “Euro NCAP shows what can be achieved when governments, consumer groups and motoring clubs from across Europe collaborate. Together, we can exert an influence on the car industry that would be hard to achieve otherwise. We are glad to see some of the major manufacturers making safety equipment standard across EU28, although we know that markets outside the Eurozone are sometimes less well served.”

Auto-braking systems effective at a range of speeds, with pedestrians also safer

The combination of low and high-speed AEB on the new Giulia and Ateca improves the possibility of crash avoidance at a wider range of speeds and as a result is likely to reduce both personal injury claims and the cost of crash damage. “Claims data shows that higher speed AEB systems have the potential to reduce injury crashes by up to 45%,” commented Matthew Avery, director of Research at Thatcham.

Additionally, the Pedestrian Protection automatic braking function fitted on these two new cars will help to better protect some of the most vulnerable road users, as Avery explained: “The Ateca and Giulia are among the first cars to feature pedestrian protection AEB, a technology that will help to bring down the number of pedestrians killed or seriously injured in the UK from the current shocking total of more than 5,000 a year – so as a buyer, you can choose from this SUV or sports saloon range with a clear safety conscience.”

The new five-star cars

Seat’s first-ever SUV is also the first Seat to have AEB as standard, and in AEB City tests the Ateca avoided collision at up to 50kph, the highest speed tested for this type of system. The Ateca is classified as a Small Off-Road vehicle by Euro NCAP and is positioned alongside the likes of the Mercedes-Benz GLC, BMW X1 and Kia Sportage, all of which have a five-star rating. These cars are competing in one of the fastest-growing market sectors in the UK and attract drivers looking for a family car with the latest safety technology. The new Volkswagen Tiguan, which is also in this category, is another five-star car that scores highly on safety.

The new Giulia is the first Alfa Romeo to feature AEB and also has a range of complementary safety technologies, including Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning and Blind Spot Warning. It shares a Large Family Car five-star Euro NCAP rating with cars such as the Jaguar XE, Toyota Avensis and Audi A4.

AEB as standard essential for improved road safety

Thatcham Research believes that a life-saving technology as important as AEB should be fitted as standard on all new cars on sale in the UK. Currently, just 21% have it as standard, with a further 27% offering it as an option. Thatcham Research is urging drivers to only consider new cars with the technology and believes that car makers need to take action now to accelerate the pace of AEB being fitted to all new cars, without exception.

“Car makers that don’t offer AEB should follow the example set by vehicles achieving a five-star Euro NCAP rating and embrace this life-saving safety automatic braking technology. And where AEB is currently available as an option it could easily be made standard instead, having an immediate positive effect on road safety,” summed up Shaw.