Top five most popular cars ranked by AEB safety

New car sales figures released today by SMMT reveal that the majority of the most popular cars in Britain offer five-star crash protection, but standard fitment of Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) is only available on half of them.

With safety and crash protection becoming increasingly important factors to buyers looking to lease a vehicle, not to mention manufacturers aspiring to attain five star Euro NCAP ratings, more and more emphasis is being put on AEB technology.

Based on recent analysis conducted by Thatcham Research, we look at the five most popular cars ranked by their AEB fitment:

Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Not only is the C-Class our pick as the ultimate business lease car, not only is it the most sought-after car on this website, but AEB is fitted as standard on its entire range of trim levels.

Marketed as Collision Prevention Assist Plus, it combines a radar-supported distance warning feature, braking assistance from Adaptive Brake Assist, and an autonomous partial application of the brakes to ensure that accidents are averted in a way that is safe to everyone. Our hats are off to the safety conscious folk at Mercedes-Benz.

See more Mercedes-Benz C-Class lease deals here: Business / Personal

Volkswagen Golf

As the definitive hot hatch (in our humble opinion), the VW Golf is Britain’s most popular personal lease car and the reasons speak for themselves – from practicality and performance to reliability and resilience. However, often overlooked in its reputation is just how safe it is.

Fitted as standard to 83% of trim levels in the Golf model range, VW’s AEB is marketed as Front Assist and monitors the traffic situation in front of your car, warning you when you get too close and even applying the brakes to help avoid collision. This is particularly useful with the city emergency brake function which is active in urban traffic at speeds up to 19 miles per hour.

See more Volkswagen Golf lease deals here: Business / Personal

Nissan Qashqai

Despite competition coming thick and fast from the likes of Seat, Hyundai and Renault, the Nissan Qashqai is gripping on for dear life as the king of the lucrative crossover SUV market.

Offering excellent levels of comfort and practicality, as well as handsome looks and decent driving dynamics, the Qashqai is understandably one of the most popular lease cars on our site. Fitted as standard to 71% of trim levels within the Qashqai range, the Forward Emergency Braking AEB is also available as part of an optional ‘Safety Shield’ pack to the 29% of trims where it doesn’t come as standard.

See more Nissan Qashqai lease deals here: Business / Personal

Ford Focus

When we reviewed the Ford Focus RS back in April we stated that if we did five star ratings we’d give this a six. If that’s not the strongest endorsement for a brand and model, we don’t know what is. While we salivated over the speed and delighted at the performance, the safety aspect really impressed us.

Their AEB, named the Active City Stop, is fitted as standard to 37% of trim levels within the Focus model range but is available as a stand-alone option for just £200 on the majority of the trims.

See more Ford Focus lease deals here: Business / Personal

Vauxhall Astra

The Vauxhall Astra has been the workhorse automobile for the manufacturer for years now, and long may that continue. Our review of the 2016 model praised its all-round capability as one of the most reliable motors on the market and a worthy challenger to the Golf and Focus.

Forward Collision Alert AEB is fitted as standard to 34% of trim levels within the Astra model range, and if you want to include the optional ‘Driving Assistance’ pack to a cheaper model it will cost you between £565 - £795.

See more Vauxhall Astra lease deals here: Business / Personal

How important is a safety rating to you when looking at leasing a car? Let us know in the comments!