BMW receives five-star safety rating

Euro NCAP awarded five-star safety ratings to two BMW’s this month, but
the Jeep Cherokee and Peugeot 208 became the first models to fall below the five-star bar.

The 97% Adult Occupant Protection score awarded to the BMW 3 Series is one of the highest seen in 2019.

However, Matthew Avery, director of research, Thatcham Research, said, ‘Whilst good, it’s 76% score for safety technologies is down on the 94% benchmark set by the Tesla Model 3 earlier this year.’

He continued, ‘The BMW 1 Series also scored a top Euro NCAP rating, but again did not quite meet the standard set by the Mercedes A-Class in 2018. This goes to show how Euro NCAP ratings are driving an incredibly competitive safety market.’

Meanwhile, the Jeep Cherokee and Peugeot 208 both received four-star ratings.

Matthew said, ‘The Peugeot 208’s four-star rating is respectable, but the car is not a good choice if you’re carrying adults in the back, with its ‘Poor’ whiplash protection for rear passengers. Protecting both front and rear occupants is especially important as families continue to downsize from larger vehicles.

‘The Jeep Cherokee is an improvement on last year’s one-star Wrangler. However, there’s still a long way to go before Jeep can get back to producing five-star cars like the 2017 Compass. The Cherokee’s Adult Occupant Protection (80%) and Child Occupant (78%) scores are the lowest awarded in 2019, while the front and rear seats again offered marginal whiplash protection. It’s low-speed Autonomous Emergency Braking system didn’t meet the mark either.’