Car editor Niek Schenk answers: ‘The awarded stars in the EuroNCAPcrash tests are not only based on occupant protection. The standard safety equipment also weighs in. It is also about how threatening the car is for pedestrians. In short, a weak protection of a few body parts sometimes leads to five stars.’
‘Last year proved that things can turn out very differently. It only received one out of five stars, because it exposes its occupants to life-threatening risks according to EuroNCAP. Some body parts of the occupants were found to be very poorly protected and parts of the dashboard could injure the occupants. Moreover, it proved difficult to open the doors after a collision.’
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