After the results of the latest Euro NCAP crash tests were published, Fiat Panda and Jeep Wrangler are the most talked about because they received none or only one-star rating. But even among the “five-star” representatives, we can find exceptions that are not completely faultless. These are, for example, Hyundai Santa Fe or BMW X5.
The Euro NCAP mentions Hyundai Santa Fe in its press release – see here – and highlighted an issue where the side curtain airbags of cars equipped with a panoramic roof could be torn during deployment.
“In response, Hyundai has already changed the airbag fixings in production and early cars are subject to an official recall. Owners of such vehicles will be contacted by the manufacturer and should make sure they take their cars to dealers to be re-worked,” says the Euro NCAP press release.
The BMW X5 also suffered from airbag problems, the driver knee airbag not deploying correctly in the frontal offset test and providing little additional protection to the driver’s legs. A similar issue was seen with the 5 Series in 2017 – we wrote here.
The Panda, last tested by Euro NCAP in 2011 (with four stars rating). Since then, it has not changed that much and has been comprehensively overtaken by all of its rivals in its class. With “zero” has so far left the Euro NCAP tests only Fiat Punto in 2017.
Unlike Panda, however, Jeep Wrangler is a brand new model, launched in 2018. With only one star rating, it stands also far behind the competition.
“It is truly disappointing to see a brand-new car being put on sale in 2018 with no autonomous braking system and no lane assistance. It is high time we saw a product from the FIAT-Chrysler group offering safety to rival its competitors,” says Michiel van Ratingen, Euro NCAP General Secretary.
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Where now?
- Citroën, Hyundai, Porsche… 17 cars on which the bonnet may open while driving
- Common problems by the manufacturer
- Check Recalls by VIN
- Do you have a Panoramic Sun-roof? You may have a problem…