Check it again, Volvo, says Euro NCAP

Euro NCAP operation has released the results of its latest round of crash testing, which produced some unexpected results and in one case at least, sounded a safety warning for a leading European premium car.

The cars tested were:

- Daihatsu Materia

- Mazda 2

- Honda Civic

- Mercedes-Benz C-Class

- Renault Laguna

- Volvo V70

Problems were noted with the deployment of the crash bags during the tests of the Mazda 2 hatch and the Volvo V70 station wagon.

In the frontal impact test of the Mazda 2 a small disturbance shortly before impact led to a delay in the firing of the crash bags and protection of the front seat occupants was compromised, said the Euro NCAP report.

These disturbances are not part of Euro NCAP's tests, it said, but they could occur in real-life accidents.

Mazda improved the airbag control software in production cars and undertook to contact all Mazda 2 owners, to ensure their cars were upgraded.

The Volvo's side curtain crash bag fired late in the side pole test; Volvo also undertook to modify production cars and contact all V70 owners.

Re-tested

Mazda and Volvo then submitted the upgraded models for re-test; the results in the tables below are for the second set of tests.

The crash bags on the Mazda 2 deployed as expected but the side curtain bags of the V70 fired late again.

Volvo says it is investigating the problem and has issued a recall; V70 drivers concerned about their own vehicles should contact their local dealer.

Euro NCAP secretary-general Michiel van Ratingen said: "This is exactly why Euro NCAP exists: to independently evaluate the protection that these cars offer consumers and to spot just this kind of error.

"If there is a safety problem, we will not re-test the vehicle unless the problem is fixed on all cars."

Results

Four of the cars received five stars in adult occupant protection: the Mazda 2, the C-Class, the Laguna and the V70.

The Laguna would have been Euro NCAP's highest scorer yet in adult occupant protection if it had not lost a point for the opening of a rear door in the side impact test.

Van Ratingen said he was disappointed to see that none of the cars achieved higher than three stars for pedestrian protection.