Volvo XC40 now much safer; gets 5-star Euro NCAP safety rating

KUALA LUMPUR: Volvo is known for making some of the world’s safest vehicles. And it has proved that once again, as its XC40 has been awarded a 5-star rating in the Euro NCAP safety tests.

The European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) comprises of various safety tests that a vehicle has to go through in order to get an overall safety rating. The Volvo XC40 passed every one of them with flying colors. As per an official report, the XC40 scored a commendable 97% score in the Adult Occupant Protection test. Points were given to the SUV for a stable passenger compartment during the frontal offset test, relatively low damage to occupants based on readings taken from crash test dummies, and an effective autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system. This score is one of the highest reported in the last three years.

The Volvo XC40 also scored 87% in the Child Occupant Protection category. It displayed a good protection for dummies representing children between the age of 6 and 10 years in both the frontal offset and side barrier tests.

The 2018 Euro NCAP includes a new test that involves cyclist-detection with auto-brake and emergency lane keeping systems. This makes it much more difficult for the car manufacturers to get a good overall score. Even then, the new Volvo XC40 got 71% in the Vulnerable Road Users test. Volvo’s AEB system performed brilliantly in both daylight and darkness. However, there’s still room for improvement as it faced some issues when the target was crossing the vehicle’s path.

With many advanced safety features - like lane keep assist, emergency lane keeping, front-rear seat belt reminders, and AEB - that come as standard with the Volvo XC40, it managed to score a good 76% in the Safety Assist category.

After receiving a 5-star rating from the Euro NCAP tests, the Volvo XC40 is now as safe as its other elder siblings - the Volvo XC60 and XC90. Also, now, every Volvo car that has been tested in 2017 and 2018 scored a 5-star rating and a score of over 90% in the Adult Occupant Protection category. This test result is a clear example that Volvo really takes safety seriously and considers it at the top of its priority list.