The Two Safest Cars You Can Buy Today

From families to workers who hit the road every day, everyone needs to travel in the safest vehicles possible. And there are two that stand out above the rest, according to the Euro NCAP rating, a voluntary safety program to which almost all manufacturers submit their vehicles. This program examines several important aspects of vehicle safety to determine how car designs protect passengers, pedestrians, and the safety systems themselves.

The examinations are grouped into four main tests. First, adult occupant protection in frontal, side, and rear impacts. This includes analyzing the vehicle's structure, restraint systems (seat belts and airbags), and energy absorption capacity. Child occupant protection: this assesses child restraint systems and their ease of installation.

Pedestrian protection is also evaluated, examining how cars can reduce injury risks in case of a collision with a pedestrian. This test considers the design of the hood, bumpers, and other front parts of the vehicle that may influence these accidents. Additionally, safety assistance is checked. This involves testing active safety systems such as ESC (electronic stability control), speed control systems, AEB (autonomous emergency braking system), and lane-keeping assistance.

All manufacturers participating in the Euro NCAP program can voluntarily select vehicles for these tests. The examination can also be conducted on cars not yet on sale, as long as they are on the factory production line. In these tests, vehicles can receive ratings from one to five stars.

The first standout is the five-door SUV Toyota C-HR, which received five stars in the Euro NCAP tests. It achieved an 85% reliability rating for adult safety, 86% for child protection, 86% for pedestrian protection, and 79% for safety assistance. Notably, the C-HR's autonomous emergency braking system received top marks in almost all tests. When this model was launched, Euro NCAP already awarded it five stars, highlighting its excellent performance in frontal impact tests and maximum scores in side impact tests. The robustness and strength of its bodywork were also praised.

The second car in the ranking is the Volkswagen Tiguan with another five-star Euro NCAP rating. It achieved an 83% reliability rating for adult safety, 88% for child protection, 84% for pedestrian protection, and 78% for safety assistance. The new Tiguan received top marks for impact protection technologies and accident prevention.

It is worth noting that since 2023, Euro NCAP test criteria have become even stricter and now include features such as detecting if a child has been left in the car—a criterion met by the new generation Tiguan. Additionally, rear cabin protection is optimized with side airbags for outer seats.