Tesla's Model 3 scores highest yet in NCAP testing

Thursday, 4 July 2019

The Tesla Model 3 has been awarded a five star crash safety rating by Euro NCAP, with the highest score yet in the latest tests.

The Tesla Model 3 has made an impressive debut in European crash testing by recording a 94 per cent score in 2019 safety assist tests, which is the best yet under Euro NCAP's most recent protocol.

The Model 3 also pulled off a perfect score in the frontal offset deformable barrier crash test, a mainstay of Euro NCAP's assessment since its inception in 1997.

A spokesman for Euro NCAP said that the Tesla's performance in the safety assist tests particularly impressed, thanks to its 'superb driver assistance systems' like lane support, speed assist and autonomous emergency braking.

The Model 3 scored an impressive 96 per cent in adult occupant protection and 86 per cent in child occupant protection - only having Isofix on the outside rear seats pulled its score down here, it otherwise scored 23.3 out of 24 in actual crash performance.

The Model 3 came in for particular praise for its driver assist and crash avoidance systems.

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While its accident avoidance technologies came in for much praise, pedestrians didn't do so well if an impact actually occurred, with the Model 3 only scoring 74 per cent in the vulnerable road users test, mainly due to scoring poorly in pedestrian head impact tests.

Naturally the Model 3 scored a full five star rating from the European safety authority, but it wasn't the only one to do well in the latest round of testing, another debutant - Skoda's new Scala - just pipped the Model 3 in adult occupant protection, with a 97 per cent score.

Euro NCAP says this firmly puts the Scala amongst the top small-family cars tested for this part of the assessment, along with the recently tested Mercedes-Benz A-Class and Mazda 3.

Mercedes-Benz's B-Class and GLE also scored five star ratings, with Mercedes-Benz continuing its top-scoring NCAP streak with its 10th and 11th solid 5-star result since 2014.

Euro NCAP spokesman Michiel van Ratingen said,'It's great to see cars doing so well. Our tests get tougher and tougher, and cars continue to perform well, which means that car-buyers are getting an ever-safer range of vehicles to choose from.

'Next year, we up the ante again, with better tests of driver-assistance systems, a completely new frontal crash test and more attention to protection in side crashes. These new tests should help to make the roads safer for everyone'.