EuroNCAP release latest safety ratings – BMW’s 1 and 3 get five stars; Peugeot and Jeep follow with four

Euro NCAP has today published the safety ratings of four vehicles. Two BMW’s – the 1 Series and the 3 Series – both achieve a maximum five-star rating. The Jeep Cherokee and the Peugeot 208 settle for four stars apiece.

BMW’s 1 Series, now in its third generation and, for the first time, a front-wheel drive car, maintains a five-star rating and continues BMW’s recent string of safety successes. Its score in adult occupant protection would have been higher were it not for its front seat narrowly missing a ‘good’ rating for Whiplash protection. The full marks the car got for its AEB City performance were not included in the adult occupant protection score as a result.

BMW’s larger family car, the 3 Series, has also been restyled and is now in its 7th generation. BMW has brought the car up to date with the best safety performance of any large family car tested by Euro NCAP against the 2018/2019 protocols.

Euro NCAP Secretary General, Michiel van Ratingen, said,  “It’s good to see the premium brands, from Germany and elsewhere, maintaining the very high standards they have set for themselves and continuing to achieve five-star ratings. I’m sure that BMW’s customers can be confident that the company will continue to strive for the highest standards of safety, even as our protocols get tougher and tougher.”

The Peugeot 208 narrowly misses out on a five-star rating, so drops a star compared to the previous-generation vehicle, that offered fewer standard safety technology but was tested against less stringent requirements in 2012. The supermini meets the five-star requirements in all areas except the protection of vulnerable road users, so ends up with a four-star rating overall. The Jeep Cherokee sits squarely in four-star territory, with good but unexceptional performance across the board, but a huge improvement over its larger stablemate, the Wrangler, tested last year.

The 97% Adult Occupant Protection score awarded to the BMW 3 Series is one of the highest seen in 2019. However, Matthew Avery, director of research, Thatcham Research suggested that “whilst good, it’s 76% score for safety technologies is down on the 94% benchmark set by the Tesla Model 3 earlier this year.”

“The BMW 1 Series also scored a top Euro NCAP rating, but again did not quite meet the standard set by the Mercedes A-Class in 2018. This goes to show how Euro NCAP ratings are driving an incredibly competitive safety market.

“The Peugeot 208’s four-star rating is respectable, but the car is not a good choice if you’re carrying adults in the back, with its ‘Poor’ whiplash protection for rear passengers. Protecting both front and rear occupants is especially important as families continue to downsize from larger vehicles.

“The Jeep Cherokee is an improvement on last year’s one-star Wrangler. However, there’s still a long way to go before Jeep can get back to producing five-star cars like the 2017 Compass. The Cherokee’s Adult Occupant Protection (80%) and Child Occupant (78%) scores are the lowest awarded in 2019, while the front and rear seats again offered marginal whiplash protection. It’s low-speed Autonomous Emergency Braking system didn’t meet the mark either,” Avery added.