Your Guide To The Safest New Cars On The Market

Posted on 22 May 2018

Over the generations, car manufacturers have designed models with enhanced safety features. From the introduction of airbags as an early improvement, to the more recent anti-lock braking systems, electronic stability control, park assist, voice controls and forward collision warnings.

The newer vehicles on the market are now significantly safer than older models. When buying a new car, safety features are often high on the priority list for buyers.

Using the European New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP), we’ve compiled the run-down of the safest cars new to the market in 2017, to help you make an informed decision:

Make and Model	Best in class award	Euro NCAP Overall Rating	Adult Safety Rating	Child Safety Rating	Safety Equipment	Approximate Cost
VW Arteon	Safest Executive	5 stars	96%	85%	View safety features here	From £31,100
Volvo XC60	Safest Large Off-Road	5 stars	98%	87%	View safety features here	From £37,770
VW T-Roc	Safest Small Off-Road	5 stars	96%	87%	View safety features here	From £18,955
VW Polo	Safest Supermini	5 stars	96%	85%	View safety features here	From £13,860
Opel/Vauxhall Crossland X	Safest Small MPV	5 stars	85%	84%	View safety features here	From £16,840
Subaru XV and Subaru Impreza	Safest Small Family Car	5 stars	94%	89%	View XV safety features here View Impreza safety features here	Subaru XV from £25,000 Subaru Impreza from £24,000

(Source: Euro NCAP)

According to Euro NCAP, a 5-star award (the highest possible), means the vehicle has ‘overall good performance in crash protection. Well equipped with robust crash avoidance technology’.

Previous safety winners

NCAP has a limit for the number of cars it tests in a year. Sometimes a specific year doesn’t have enough participants competing to award a winner. Previous winners for 2017 categories without a declared winner are:

2016 Safest Large Family Car – Toyota Prius

2015 Safest Large MPV – Ford Galaxy

2015 Safest Convertible – Mazda MX-5

How do Euro NCAP rate these cars?

The Euro NCAP gives an overall car safety rating after evaluating four areas:

Adult Occupant Protection
Child Occupant Protection
Pedestrian/Vulnerable Road User Protection (e.g. cyclist)
Safety Assist – based on driver-assistance and crash-avoidance features.

Vehicles are tested in a series of crashes with sensory dummies – including head on, side, rear, pole impact and pedestrian impacts. This shows their seatbelt and airbag effectiveness, along with forces in pedestrian accidents.

What’s the safest car make?

In 2017, Volkswagen swept the leader board with three of their models winning the safest category awards.

Although the cars on our safest list aren’t necessarily the cheapest on the market, you can’t put a price on safety.