Looking for a new compact family-friendly runaround? There is plenty of buyer choice in the small car category, including a whole host of new budget electric cars that have arrived on UK roads in the last 12 months. But which cars have stand-out safety credentials?
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, with many car buyers simply assuming that “bigger is better”. Thankfully, that attitude is changing as car brands now tend to fit their 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 Euro NCAP, which independently tests new cars in every aspect of vehicle safety, over and above the bare minimum legal requirements. 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. Euro NCAP 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.
Since we published our picks for the safest small cars last year, a handful of new small cars have been put through their paces by Euro NCAP, some faring better than others. For example, the compact Dacia Spring EV arrived this year but only has a one-star safety rating.
Also missing out on this list are the new Renault 4 and Renault 5 models, which were awarded four stars out of five. Our top five picks below, which include both petrol and electric models, have all been awarded a full five-star rating.
Euro NCAP regularly updates its test standards to reflect ongoing technology developments. Because of this, we’ve only included models assessed over the past three years, as a five-star model assessed in 2020 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 are fitted with features to both help prevent collisions and protect occupants 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.
Keep in mind that, while older models on this list tested at an earlier date may have higher scores across the categories, five-star safety credentials are tougher to achieve in 2025 as Euro NCAP toughens its assessment scoring year-on-year.
| Small car | Year tested | Adult occupant protection | Child occupant protection | Vulnerable road user protection | Safety assistance technology |
| Mini Cooper Electric | 2025 | 89% | 87% | 77% | 79% |
| SEAT Ibiza | 2022 | 82% | 82% | 66% | 70% |
| Volkswagen Polo | 2022 | 94% | 80% | 70% | 70% |
| GWM Ora 03 | 2022 | 92% | 83% | 74% | 93% |
| BYD Dolphin | 2024 | 89% | 87% | 85% | 79% |
Mini Cooper Electric
Safety rating
Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP
Overall score: 5 stars
Date tested: March 2025
Read the full Euro NCAP review
Adult protection: 89%
Child protection: 87%
Vulnerable road users: 77%
Safety assist: 79%
Although the Mini Cooper may look the same, regardless of whether its powered by petrol or electricity, the two cars are actually completely different under the skin. The petrol-powered Cooper is an extensive update over the previous Mini hatchback, which dates all the way back to 2014, while the Mini Cooper Electric is an all-new car. Unsurprisingly, this means that the electric version has a better safety rating than the petrol version.
The Mini Cooper was awarded five-star safety credentials by Euro NCAP in March 2025, with strong scores across all four categories. The car demonstrated good protection against whiplash injuries in multiple crash scenarios and has an ‘active bonnet’ system that lifts the bonnet in a collision to reduce injury to a pedestrian.
The Mini Cooper Electric currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of A in our industry-leading Expert Rating Index, with a score of 82%.
- Mini Cooper (2024 onwards) – Expert Rating
- Mini Cooper Electric (2024 onwards) -Expert Rating
- More Mini news, reviews, ratings and features
SEAT Ibiza
Safety rating
Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP
Overall score: 5 stars
Date tested: October 2022
Read the full Euro NCAP review
Adult protection: 82%
Child protection: 82%
Vulnerable road users: 66%
Safety assist: 70%
On sale since 2017, the long-standing SEAT Ibiza sat at the top of the small car category in our Expert Rating index due to its combination of driving comfort, refined interior and competitive pricing.
The hatchback was re-tested by Euro NCAP after its 2022 facelift, and while the Ibiza doesn’t hold the best score in any of Euro NCAP’s categories, the SEAT performed well in every test, with no notable points of concern. That said, the Ibiza doesn’t have the centre airbag countermeasures that the Mini has.
The SEAT Ibiza 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.
Volkswagen Polo
Safety rating
Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP
Overall score: 5 stars
Date tested: March 2022
Read the full Euro NCAP review
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 75% in our Expert Rating Index, which puts it at the top of the small car segment.
GWM Ora 03
Safety rating
Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP
Overall score: 5 stars
Date tested: September 2022
Read the full Euro NCAP review
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 73% in our Expert Rating Index – a commendable score that puts it towards the top of the small car segment.
BYD Dolphin
Safety rating
Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP
Overall score: 5 stars
Date tested: October 2023
Read the full Euro NCAP review
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.
In addition to these five outstanding cars, many other compact options have commendable five-star safety credentials, including but not limited to:
- Skoda Fabia (tested in 2021)
- Renault Clio (tested in 2019)
- Honda Jazz (tested in 2020)
- Audi A1 (tested in 2019)
- Toyota Yaris (tested in 2020)
- Mazda 2 Hybrid (tested in 2020)
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