The cars that topped their class in crash tests in 2019 revealed

Want to know which new car is best in class for crash protection?

Euro NCAP, the body that assesses the safety credentials of the latest mainstream models, has named the top choice vehicles in each category from last year’s test results.

Some 55 new cars were reviewed in 2019, of which 41 scored maximum five-star crash-test ratings. These are the recommended models in each vehicle class.

Supermini: Audi A1 & Renault Clio

Runner up: Ford Puma

Euro NCAP couldn’t split two models, so has awarded both a recommendation in the supermini segment.

They are the sporty Audi A1 and more budget-focussed Renault Clio. 

Their latest generations arrived in 2019 and came out equally well in the tests, with respective adult occupant protection scores of 95 and 96 per cent.  

The testing body said the supermini segment had the biggest range in results, harbouring models with three, four and five star ratings – the latter of which it says deserve ‘extraordinary credits for their uncompromising stance on safety’. 

Small family car: Mercedes-Benz CLA

Runner up: Mazda3  

Mercedes-Benz took the crown for the best performing small family car category for the second year running, with the CLA saloon replicating the success of the A-Class hatchback 12 months earlier. 

The CLA achieved a score of more than 90 per cent in three of the four areas of safety and delivered the best overall rating of the year. Remarkably, Mercedes-Benz launched five more five-star vehicles in 2019, all with outstanding crash protection and driver assistance technology.

The Mazda3 was a notable runner up, having scored a 98 per cent adult occupant protection score, which at the time (May 2019) was the joint highest ever recorded and only bettered by another Mazda – the CX-30 SUV – months later.

Large family car: Tesla Model 3 & BMW 3 Series 

Runner up: Skoda Octavia 

Tesla’s Model 3 tied with the BMW 3 Series as the most protecting large family car put through the rigorous crash assessments in 2019.

The two cars ended up with identical overall scores, the BMW scoring better in pedestrian protection and the Tesla edging it in the safety assist review. 

The results showcased the changing market, with an electric model matching a car with an internal combustion engine in the crash reports. 

Skoda’s new Octavia is the runner-up in this category.

Small SUV: Subaru Forester 

Runner up: Mazda CX-30 & VW T-Cross

This class is actually split between small SUVs and MPVs, but with compact crossovers dominating the market and MPVs rapidly disappearing from ranges, it came as no surprise that it was small 4x4s that took the top awards.  

Subaru’s new Forester is the recommended choice in the class, with excellent all-round performance, with a 97 per cent adult occupant protection score capping an impressive five-star rating. 

Mazda’s CX-30 and VW’s T-Cross, are close followers in this category. The CX-30 is the second Mazda to miss out on the top award, with the 3 hatchback the runner up in the small family car class mentioned earlier. 

Large SUV: Tesla Model X

Runner up: Seat Tarraco 

If there’s one thing to take away from the 2019 Euro NCAP crash test results, it’s that Tesla cars offer heaps of crash protection.

The Model X was the pick of the bunch in the large off-road category, heading off the Seat Tarraco in second spot.

A 98 per cent adult occupant score and 94 per cent for safety assist made the Model X one of the best scoring models in the last 12 months.

Hybrid and electric car: Tesla Model 3

Runner up: Tesla Model X 

Of the 55 new vehicles tested by Euro NCAP in 2019, 17 were electric or hybrid powered – so it wasn’t a given that Tesla would take the two top spots.

In fact, all six pure electric cars tested by the body last year – also including the Mercedes-Benz EQC, Audi e-tron, MG ZS EV and Porsche Taycan – achieved five star ratings.

This should help to dispel the myth that electric cars won’t be safe in a crash, especially when you consider that both Tesla cars achieved top ratings across all four testing categories. 

Roadster: BMW Z4

While Euro NCAP doesn’t have a sports car category and only tested one roadster in the previous 12 months, it said the BMW Z4’s outstanding performance was worth a mention.

A 97 per cent adult and 91 per cent pedestrian protection score ‘set a new safety benchmark for the segment’, according to the Euro NCAP test team.

The Z4 shares a platform with the new Toyota Supra.