Nissan LEAF and Ford Focus: crash tested
Thursday 26 May 2011
• LEAF is five-star electric car
• Five stars for new Ford Focus
• 100 per cent safety assist score for Volvo V60
The Nissan LEAF is the first electric car to be awarded a top five-star Euro NCAP crash test result by the recognised European car safety body.
Nissan has a strong crash safety record, but faced new challenges with the all-electric LEAF. It has a specially designed battery pack that are installed below the rear seats, so that in the event of a crash, there’s no risk of battery damage or high voltage leaks that could cause an explosion.
Ford Focus
The latest Ford Focus has also been awarded the top five-star crash test rating, continuing the safety record of previous generations of Britain’s best-selling family hatchback.
As well as its impressive crash structure and driver, passenger, front side and front and rear curtain airbags as standard, the Focus is also available with optional Active City Stop and Lane Keeping Aid. City Stop helps prevent low-speed collisions by applying the brakes if the car detects an incident in its path. Its Lane Keeping Aid helps steer the car back into its lane if the car begins to drifts onto white lines.
Volvo V60
The Volvo V60 estate has also scored five-stars, including 94 per cent in the adult occupant protection category and an impressive score of 100 per cent in the safety assist category, which judges the safety and driver aids incorporated into the car.
Peugeot 508
The Peugeot 508 executive saloon car also performed excellently, achieving five stars and 90 per cent for adult occupant protection. However, pedestrian protection of 41 per cent was a long way behind the 72 per cent score of the Ford Focus.
Lexus CT200h
The Lexus CT200h hybrid scored an impressive 94 per cent for adult occupant protection and 84 per cent for child occupants. Whiplash protection was also of a high standard.
Citroen DS4
The Citroen DS4 was awarded five stars, in a clean sweep by manufacturers in the latest round of Euro NCAP results. It scored almost identically to the Citroen C4 recently tested, with 90 per cent for adult occupant protection. It did, however, score 80 per cent instead of 85 for child occupant protection, making it marginally less safe than the C4 on which it’s based.
By Andy Goodwin, senior web journalist