BYD’s ATTO 3 Electric SUV Scores A 5-Star Rating In Latest Euro NCAP Safety Tests

Euro NCAP published the safety ratings for ten new models, with eight of them achieving the highest score of five stars and two of them getting four stars. Among the top performers are the Mercedes-Benz EQE, the BMW X1 and 2-Series Active Tourer, the Mazda CX-60, the BYD ATTO 3, the mildly updated VW Golf, as well as the Seat Ibiza and Arona. The Citroen C5 X and Mobilize Limo missed the top rating, getting four stars.

Starting with one of the few EVs of the bunch, the Mercedes-Benz EQE proved to be quite safe in all different aspects, scoring 95% on adult occupants, 91% on child occupants, 83% on vulnerable road users and 81% on safety assist for a clean five-star rating. Euro NCAP praised the optional Active Emergency Stop Assist function which safely maneuvers the car to the slowest lane and brings it to a halt when the driver becomes unresponsive. This feature contributed to a “Very Good” grade and one of the highest Euro NCAP scores on assisted driving.

See Also: Alfa Romeo Tonale And Kia Sportage Score Five Stars In Euro NCAP, BMW i4 And Toyota Aygo X Get Four

The next model is the BYD ATTO 3 (Yuan Plus), a budget-friendly EV which proved once more the progress of Chinese automakers in terms of safety, following the recent successful results of the ORA Cat and WEY Coffee 1. The BYD ATTO 3 scored 91% on adult occupants, 89% on child occupants, 69% on vulnerable road users and 74% on safety assist thanks to the generous ADAS suite included in the standard equipment.

The other two Chinese-built vehicles in this leg of testing came from French automakers and scored four stars. Both the Citroen C5 X produced by Dongfeng Peugeot-Citroën Automobile and the fleet-focused Mobilize Limo produced by Renault-Jiangling performed well in the crash tests but missed the top rating due to the lack of certain ADAS features, or their marginal performance in the active safety tests.

Despite being classified in the B-Segment (supermini and B-SUV), the recently facelifted Seat Ibiza and Arona qualified for five stars with very similar ratings in each category. More specifically the models scored 83% on adult occupants, 82% (83%) on child occupants, 66% (65%) on vulnerable road users and 70% on safety assist.

BMW also put two mechanically-related models to the test – the all-new X1 and the 2-Series Active Tourer. The premium compact SUV scored 86% on adult occupants, 89% on child occupants, 76% on vulnerable road users and an impressive 92% on safety assist. Similarly, the minivan scored 88% on adult occupants, 81% on child occupants, 79% on vulnerable road users and a matching 92% on safety assist since it is offering the same ADAS. The five-star ratings for both BMWs are not surprising, since we are talking about new-generation models that debuted in 2022 in premium segments.

Another five-star earner is the Mazda CX-60 with good individual scores including 88% on adult occupants, 91% on child occupants, 89% on vulnerable road users, and 76% on safety assist.

The VW Golf VIII had already been awarded a five-star rating in 2019, however back then, the assessment criteria were not as strict as today. Volkswagen didn’t rest on its laurels, updating the popular hatchback with the addition of a center airbag, lap pretensioners, junction assist and a fatigue detection system. All those features resulted in a fresh five-star rating with 2022 standards. Interestingly, VW is working on a facelifted Golf which is expected to retain its top safety score.

Speaking of the current situation in the automotive world, Michiel van Ratingen, Euro NCAP’s Secretary General, said: “There is a lot of pressure on car manufacturers to extend the lifetimes of their vehicles, especially those of combustion-engined cars which will soon be replaced by all-electric models. Most vehicle manufacturers tend to ride it out, some may even consider safety cutbacks to maintain competitiveness. So it is excellent to see Volkswagen continually improving the safety of the Golf, to keep abreast of the latest developments and keep pace with competitors.”

The last model in this batch was the Nissan Juke Hybrid which inherited the five-star rating of the regular ICE-only Juke from 2019 without further tests, which is why there is no footage in the press material. Below, you can check out the full gallery of the aforementioned models getting destroyed in the name of safety.