The ten safest new cars of 2017 revealed

The UK’s independent car safety experts have put together their list of the ten safest new cars of 2017, and awarded an overall winner. As well as vehicle crash and track research, Thatcham Research tests and accredits crash repair parts, vehicle repair technicians and other products and services in the automotive industry. In conjunction with What Car? magazine, Thatcham has announced the the safest new car of 2017, awarded two runners up with ‘highly commended’ ratings, and highlighted a further seven cars which offer outstanding levels of safety. The ten new cars selected have all been launched onto the UK market in the last year, and all carry five-star ratings from Euro NCAP. To be considered for the Thatcham list, the cars must be fitted with autonomous emergency braking (AEB) as standard and also feature at least one safety assist technology above and beyond NCAP requirements, such as lane keeping systems. The cars are then judged on market relevance and value for money. The Toyota Prius won the What Car? Safety Award for safest new car of 2017, announced last night in London. The Peugeot 3008 and Volkswagen Tiguan were also highly commended. We take a look at all ten of the safest new cars of 2017, starting with this year’s winner and runners-up: Next page: The winner of the What Car? Safety Award for 2017 Toyota Prius. The angular new Toyota Prius is the fourth generation of the world’s best-selling hybrid (petrol-electric) car, and a big improvement on its predecessors. The latest model premiered Toyota’s modular new platform, which has already formed the basis for the new C-HR crossover and will underpin many new Toyota models over the next decade. it brings better dynamics to hat has always been a fairly mundane vehicle to drive, as well as providing massive operational savings to Toyota and Lexus by adapting the modular architecture to fit many different cars. Toyota was praised by the judges for the many advanced driver assistance systems fitted to the Prius as standard. The Prius scored highly in all areas of testing, impressing the judges with its class-leading Reverse AEB system in particular. Reverse AEB acts to prevent you from running over small children (or other objects) who may be unseen behind the car. Pedestrian AEB, Road Sign Assist, Lane Support and Head-Up Display are also fitted as standard across all variants. Matthew Avery, director of safety research at Thatcham Research, commented: “Reverse AEB is currently only available on around half a dozen cars worldwide and Toyota is the first to fit this class-leading technology as standard, along with a host of other transformative safety tech. “Safety is ingrained in Toyota’s DNA; all Toyota models in recent years have achieved a five-star Euro NCAP score. The Prius, however, goes one step further in achieving the highest overall Euro NCAP result of 2016. “This award recognises Toyota’s outstanding commitment to safety, going above and beyond current testing criteria, especially with regard to its high performance Reverse AEB system. Safety should not have to come at a premium and the Prius is a great example of a relatively inexpensive car which features a vast amount of safety tech as standard.” Next page: Highly commended – the Peugeot 3008 Peugeot 3008. The new Peugeot 3008 is a massive change in direction from its predecessor, which was a dumpy-looking MPV. The new model, however, is a stylish crossover aimed at the still-booming urban SUV market. Using the modular EMP2 architecture already underpinning the Peugeot 308 hatchback and Citroen C4 Picasso models, the 3008 scored five stars in its Euro NCAP crash tests. Intelligent Speed Adaption is standard on all trim levels, which can limit the car to not exceed the posted speed limit. The Peugeot 3008 was highly commended by the Thatcham judges for its high levels of both passive safety and active safety technology. The Peugeot 3008 hit the UK market in November 2016. There are four trim options to choose from, with a range of engines. To see what we thought of the rest of the car’s abilities, read The Car Expert review of the new Peugeot 3008. Next page: Highly commended – the Volkswagen Tiguan Volkswagen Tiguan. The second generation of the Volkswagen Tiguan has improved markedly on the original version of the Golf-based crossover, and is a far more suitable family chariot. Assuming you are ready to forgive Volkswagen for its emissions-cheating scandal, the new Tiguan makes a good case for itself in the compact crossover/SUV market. Inside, it looks just like a Golf but it’s still a slick place to spend time and cover miles in comfort. Seven engines are available, three petrol and four of the evil VW diesels, with a mix of 2WD and 4WD among the mix. There are five trim levels to choose from, but all have an excellent standard safety specification with more advanced technology available at extra cost, so your kids will thank you even if Greenpeace doesn’t. All Tiguans have a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating, and the Tiguan was also highly commended by Thatcham for its high levels of both passive safety and active safety technology. A head-up display and lane departure warning system are both standard. The latest Tiguan went on sale in the UK in June 2016. To discover more about how we rated it, read The Car Expert review of the new Volkswagen Tiguan. And now onto the remaining finalists:Next page: Alfa Romeo Giulia Alfa Romeo Giulia. Alfa Romeo may have a reputation for sporty rather than safe driving, but the new Giulia returned some of the best results ever seen in its Euro NCAP crash tests. The Giulia has already won a number of awards for safety since launch, and shows that you can have a saloon which is both safe and sporting. Even entry-level Giulia models include forward collision warning (FCW) with autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian recognition, integrated brake system (IBS), and lane departure warning (LDW) among their standard equipment. The Giulia has just arrived in UK showrooms. Next page: Audi Q2 Audi Q2. The Audi Q2 is the company’s entry into the premium compact SUV market. Based on the Audi A1 hatchback, it is aimed at current Mini Countryman drivers. Audi expects most buyers to opt for the Sport or S Line models rather than the entry-level SE spec, but all Q2 variants get a good range of safety equipment. Naturally, the Q2 scored a five-star rating in its Euro NCAP crash tests. The Q2 arrived in UK showrooms in November 2016. For more information about how the Q2 performs, read The Car Expert review of the new Audi Q2. Next page: Ford Edge Ford Edge. The Ford Edge is a large SUV, which joins the compact EcoSport and mid-size Kuga to complete the company’s SUV line-up. Ford is attempting to take on more upmarket brands like Audi and BMW, especially with the range-topping Vignale model (pictured above). Available in the UK only in two-litre diesel form, the Edge offers a new level of fit and finish for a Ford product. It also aced its Euro NCAP tests, with a five-star rating and good levels of safety equipment. The Edge is the first Ford to feature standard autonomous emergency braking (AEB) across all trim levels. The Edge arrived in the UK in September 2016. For a detailed look at how it stacks up, read The Car Expert review of the Ford Edge. Next page: Hyundai Ioniq Hyundai Ioniq. The Hyundai Ioniq claims to be the first car sold in the UK with three choices of electric powertrain; a regular hybrid, a plug-in hybrid and a fully-electric model. The Ioniq is Hyundai’s challenger to the market-leading Toyota Prius and Nissan Leaf, although it generally manages to look more normal than either of those. The regular hybrid and fully-electric model have been on sale in the UK since October 2016, and the plug-in model joins the range in the second quarter of 2017. Already a winner of several eco awards, the Ioniq is also an accomplished performer in Euro NCAP crash tests. Lane keeping assist systems are also standard across the range. Next page: Mercedes-Benz E-Class Mercedes-Benz E-Class. The Mercedes-Benz E-Class is the most expensive vehicle on the safest new car list for 2017, which shows that safety technology is not the exclusive privilege of the wealthy. Highly praised for its comfort and luxury, which lifts it clear of its rivals from BMW, Audi and Jaguar, the new E-Class also offers a five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP and other features like an innovative junction assist system. But then, you would expect nothing less from a manufacturer which has long been at the forefront of automotive safety. The E-Class saloon has been on the UK market since May 2016, with the estate version arriving in the second half of the year. Still to come is the recently-announced E-Class coupé, and presumably a cabriolet version will appear at some stage as well. Next page: Renault Scenic Renault Scenic. The fourth generation of Renault’s pioneering people carrier has only just arrived in the UK, making its debut in December 2016. It is available as a regular five-seater or seven-seater Grand Scenic version. Both models are built on the Renault-Nissan Alliance common module family (CMF) platform, which has already been employed across the Renault range on the Megane, Kadjar, Espace and Talisman models. There are five engine options and four trim levels currently available, with a hybrid model expected before the middle of 2017. As well as a five-star Euro NCAP rating, Renault claims that the new Scenic is the only vehicle in its class to offer autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection as standard. Lane keeping, traffic sign recognition and auto headlight systems are also standard. Next page: SEAT Ateca SEAT Ateca. The Ateca is SEAT’s first foray into the compact SUV market, taking on the likes of the Nissan Qashqai and in-house rival the Volkswagen Tiguan. Based on the familiar Volkswagen Group MQB platform, which not only underpins the...

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