Looking for a new compact family-friendly runaround? Car safety features will always be an important factor when choosing your next family car, as strong safety credentials provide peace of mind and protection in the event of an accident.
Small cars aren’t traditionally associated with strong safety. In recent years, however, that has changed as car brands now fit their new smallest models with on-board safety systems that even the most expensive luxury cars didn’t have a decade or so ago.
The organisation we consult to find out a car’s safety credentials in the UK is independent crash tester Euro NCAP, which regularly tests new cars in every aspect of vehicle safety. Though it may take a few months or years after the car’s official arrival, the organisation’s goal is to assess the safety of all new mainstream cars and rates each car in four areas: adult occupant protection, child occupant protection, vulnerable road user protection (mainly cyclists and pedestrians) and safety assistance technology (accident avoidance and mitigation). The car is then given an overall star rating out of five.
So, with that in mind, which new small cars are the safest? We have listed our top five picks below, which include both petrol-powered and all-electric models.
Euro NCAP regularly updates its test standards to reflect ongoing technology developments. Because of this, we’ve only included models that have launched in the UK over the past four years, as a five-star model assessed in 2017 might not necessarily be a five-star car today.
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Here at The Car Expert, we firmly believe that safety is a core component of any new car. Our unique Expert Rating Index includes the full Euro NCAP results for all cars tested and keeps them up to date, as well as incorporating these safety credentials into the car’s overall score.
Five of the safest new small cars
All of our picks below have been given a five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP and are fitted with features to both help prevent collisions and protect ooccupants if a crash can’t be avoided. These include autonomous emergency braking, software to detect driver fatigue and a system to notify emergency services when a crash happens.
| Small car | Year tested | Adult occupant protection | Child occupant protection | Vunerable road user protection | Safety assistance technology |
| Volkswagen Polo | 2022 | 94% | 80% | 70% | 70% |
| Skoda Fabia | 2021 | 85% | 81% | 70% | 71% |
| Toyota Yaris/Mazda 2 Hybrid | 2020 | 86% | 81% | 78% | 85% |
| GWM Ora 03 | 2022 | 92% | 83% | 74% | 93% |
| BYD Dolphin | 2024 | 89% | 87% | 85% | 79% |
Volkswagen Polo
Overall score: 5 stars
Date tested: March 2022
Adult protection: 94%
Child protection: 80%
Vulnerable road users: 70%
Safety assist: 70%
Passing its Euro NCAP tests with flying colours back in early 2022, the facelifted version of the Volkswagen Polo was highlighted for its impressive driver and passenger protection in the event of a collision.
This was the second time the Polo has been awarded a five-star rating from Euro NCAP, after its first crash test in late 2017. The German supermini has the best adult occupant protection score of any car on this list – meaning it offers the best crash protection for the driver and adult passengers – and it’s a very good all-rounder with high scores in the other categories.
The Volkswagen Polo currently holds a very good New Car Expert Rating of A with a score of 76% in our Expert Rating Index, which puts it at the top of the small car segment.
Skoda Fabia
Overall score: 5 stars
Date tested: December 2021
Adult protection: 85%
Child protection: 81%
Vulnerable road users: 70%
Safety assist: 71%
Closely related to the Polo, the Skoda Fabia was tested by Euro NCAP in late 2021. Despite Skoda being the budget brand of the Volkswagen Group – with the Fabia costing less off the showroom floor than the Polo – it still scored a five-star rating.
While Skoda’s smallest offering doesn’t hold the best score in any of Euro NCAP’s categories, the Fabia performed well in every test, with no notable points of concern. That said, the Fabia doesn’t have the centre airbag countermeasures that the Polo has, leading to a lower adult occupant protection score.
The Skoda Fabia currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of A with a score of 74% in our Expert Rating Index, which puts it near the top of the small car segment.
Toyota Yaris/Mazda 2 Hybrid
- Toyota Yaris (2020 onwards) – Expert Rating
- More Toyota news, reviews, ratings and features
- Mazda 2 Hybrid (2022 onwards) – Expert Rating
- More Mazda news, reviews, ratings and features
Overall score: 5 stars
Date tested: September 2020
Adult protection: 86%
Child protection: 81%
Vulnerable road users: 78%
Safety assist: 85%
Why have we included two cars together? Well, because they are essentially the same supermini. In order to add a hybrid hatchback to its range, Mazda turned to Toyota, launching a re-badged version of the Yaris that is not related to the petrol-powered Mazda 2 supermini.
The Yaris – and by extension the 2 Hybrid that has the same assessment scores – was the first car to be put through Euro NCAP’s tougher 2020 crash testing regime, and it performed exceptionally well. The hatchback recorded very good protection scores for both adults and children, and Euro NCAP was also impressed by the long list of accident avoidance technology fitted as standard – giving the supermini a safety assistance rating that trumps most bigger and more expensive cars.
Both cars currently hold a New Car Expert Rating of A with a score of 75% in our industry-leading Expert Rating Index.
GWM Ora 03
Overall score: 5 stars
Date tested: September 2022
Adult protection: 92%
Child protection: 83%
Vulnerable road users: 74%
Safety assist: 93%
You may not have heard of the GWM Ora 03 – you might even know it by its old name, the ‘Funky Cat’ – but this electric Chinese hatchback is Euro NCAP’s recommended small family car, as it excelled during its crash test assessments in late 2022.
Besides its strong adult occupant protection score, the supermini has a much better safety assistance technology score (that helps to avoid the crash before it happens) than any other car in this bracket – a score that many much larger cars cannot beat.
The GWM Ora 03 currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of A with a score of 74% in our Expert Rating Index – a commendable score that puts it towards the top of the small car segment.
BYD Dolphin
Overall score: 5 stars
Date tested: October 2023
Adult protection: 89%
Child protection: 87%
Vulnerable road users: 85%
Safety assist: 79%
Another electric supermini from a Chinese brand, the BYD Dolphin is the latest small car to be assessed by Euro NCAP, and for families, it is perhaps the most impressive battery-powered choice.
The Dolphin has the highest child occupant protection and vulnerable road user protection (pedestrians and cyclists) scores of any car on this list, and it performed well in the adult protection and safety tech categories too.
The BYD Dolphin currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of A with a score of 76%, a fraction behind the segment-leading Volkswagen Polo in our Expert Rating Index.
That sums up our top supermini picks when it comes to safety, but please note that many other compact options have commendable five-star safety credentials, including but not limited to:
- SEAT Ibiza (tested in 2022)
- Renault Clio (tested in 2019)
- Honda Jazz (tested in 2020)
- Audi A1 (tested in 2019)
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