Eight things we learned from Euro NCAP tests in 2023

2022 was a monster year for testing car safety, as Euro NCAP rattled through a phenomenal 73 models. Which puts 2023's haul of 18 a bit on the low side. That said, 17 of them were brand-new cars.

Not only did Chinese brands account for half the cars tested, they also consistently scored a full five stars. Euro NCAP reckons this will ‘restore their once tarnished reputation.’ One car - the VinFast V8 (regrettably not named after Fast actor Vin Diesel) - was the first Vietnamese car to be tested by Euro NCAP. Cool.

Gone are the days of shonky Rover 100s and wobbly Fiat Seicentos. Shock, horror. It's the 2020s and car makers - drum roll, please - build safe cars. So safe that all models tested received four stars or more, out of five. So, er, four or five stars.

Sensing cyclists as they pass the car and warning occupants has helped reduce incidence of ‘dooring’ - that is, to be slammed in the soft bits by a car door. Ouch. While it's not the kind of issue faced with gullwing doors, the Lexus RZ (with its standard-styled exit) goes one step further: its tech prevents a door being opened suddenly, if a cyclist or pedestrian is there. Smart stuff.

Flash flooding is enough of a thing to make a test out of it. According to Euro NCAP, ‘all manufacturers provided evidence that the windows… could still be operated within 10 minutes under partial submergence… for 59 per cent of the cars rated.’ Enjoy the swim.

Hot cars are no place for pets and tiny people. During 2023, five cars tested had child presence detection sensors in the back, and seven cars had more advanced systems. Yet, not one vehicle tested met with Euro NCAP’s stringent criteria. Oh dear.

Since adding six new bits of ‘driver assist’ criteria into the tests, certain brands have found their ratings take a hit. That's because other manufacturers are adding features like child presence detection (CPD), motorcycle detection and vehicle submergence. Which doesn't involve swimming out of giant potholes, surprisingly.

In over 25 years, Euro NCAP has tested almost 1,000 cars. VW, Ford and Merc are the most tested brands, while the popular VW Golf has been tested nine times - exactly nought point five more times than Golf generations exist. Weird, huh?