Safety organization Euro NCAP, which has been carrying out crash tests for vehicles in Europe since 1997 (a joint initiative with the European Union), this week announced its safety team for 2022. These vehicles achieved the highest overall score based on occupant protection results for both adults and children, for protection on people with disabilities and safety assistance technologies that are rigorously tested. For the first time, this list includes two Tesla vehicles and two new Chinese newcomers to the European market – which will also come to us.
Hyundai Ioniq 6 won the highest marks in the large family car category, Aura Funky Cat in the small family car category, Tesla Model S in the executive car category, Tesla Model Y in the small SUV category and Wey Coffee 01 in the large off-road vehicle category (Great Wall Motors Group) which even surpassed the Lexus RX in its final points standings. With the exception of Wey by the way, which is a plug-in hybrid vehicle, all the winning models are vehicles with a 100% electric system.
Euro NCAP gave a lot of compliments to South Koreans: the Hyundai Ioniq 6, which achieved a particularly high score of 97 percent in the protection of elderly passengers, also managed to impress in the shell for passengers with children. The electric sedan offered good protection for all critical body areas even in tests performed on mannequins simulating girls/children aged 6 and 10 years in the frontal impact and side/pillar barrier tests, and achieved the maximum number of points in this part of the tests compared to the rest.
The small car of the Great Wall Group, Ora Funky Cat is, according to them, equipped in an exceptional way in terms of safety – even surpassing, they say, some large western brands in terms of value for money. Tesla’s premium sedan, Model S, and sought-after SUV, Model Y, both lead in adult occupant protection, Euro NCAP said. Both vehicles achieved the best rating among all vehicles in the safety assistants exam with 98 percent. Model S is also the best in the pure electric vehicle category, in all parameters measured.
“2022 was one of the busiest years for Euro NCAP and we saw a lot of new car manufacturers and new technologies. It is clear that a good Euro NCAP score is seen by car manufacturers as crucial to success in Europe. It can only indicate so much that safety equipment will gradually improve, and cars will become safer for European consumers “, said the Secretary General of Euro NCAP, Michael van Reitgen.