Top marks for Honda, Seat and Mercedes in latest crash tests
Euro NCAP has released the first safety ratings of 2019, with three new cars undergoing its gruelling test regime. The new Honda CR-V, Mercedes-Benz G-Class and Seat Tarraco all received the full five-star award.
Of the three cars tested, the seven-seat Seat Tarraco came out on top, achieving excellent scores in adult protection, child protection, pedestrian protection and active safety technologies.
The new seven seater shares its platform with the Skoda Kodiaq, which managed to attain five stars in 2017. Against 2019’s more stringent protocols, it still managed to impressive, scoring 97% for adult protection – among the best in its class.
The previous-generation Honda CR-V was tested as a diesel in 2013. In a sign of the times, this latest version is tested in petrol-hybrid form, anticipated to be the biggest-selling variant.
Mercedes-Benz’s rugged G-Class also comes in with a five-star rating with an impressive performance – not really surprising considering its tank-like road presence. What is perhaps surprising, is it actually achieved a higher rating for pedestrian protection than the CR-V. Here are the full results:
| Make and model | Rating | Adult protection | Child protection | Pedestrian protection | Active safety |
| Honda CR-V | Five stars | 93% | 83% | 70% | 76% |
| Mercedes-Benz G-Class | Five stars | 90% | 83% | 78% | 72% |
| Seat Tarraco | Five stars | 97% | 84% | 79% | 79% |
Michiel van Ratingen of Euro NCAP said: “Here we have three new vehicles, competing in the same segment and getting top safety ratings. That’s impressive enough but the fact that all three off-roaders are equipped with pedestrian and cyclist AEB systems really demonstrates the power of consumer testing not only to encourage better performance but also to promote new technologies as standard-fit across Europe.”
