Dacia Bigster scores just three stars in latest round of Euro NCAP safety tests
The firm’s SUV was marked down for its driver safety assistance systems scoring just 57 per cent overall.
The Dacia Bigster has achieved just three stars in the latest round of Euro NCAP safety tests.
The Bigster is Dacia’s largest SUV and scored just 57 per cent overall for its driver safety assistance systems. It was rated poorly on lane support for motorcyclists and door prevention for cyclists.
The biggest setback was that the car does not come with an occupant detection feature in the back seats to let the driver know if passengers have got their seatbelts fastened.
But, there was a plethora of new models that scored the maximum five stars including the Audi Q5, MGS5 EV, Volkswagen Tayron and Toyota CH-R PHEV. All of these models were praised for their adult and child occupant safety.
However, the Mobile Progressive Deformable Barrier (MPDB) test is designed to simulate a head-on crash, and while the cars mentioned above scored well overall, cars like the Audi Q5 and Volkswagen Tayron were marked down for their overall size and weight potentially hurting other occupants in smaller and lighter vehicles.
Dr. Aled Williams, programme director at Euro NCAP, said: “When Euro NCAP introduced Mobile Progressive Deformable Barrier testing in 2020, the objective was to assess how well cars protect people in the event of the most common – and one of the most dangerous – accidents, an offset head-on collision. Since then, we have responded to the general trend toward larger, heavier cars and adjusted the MPDB test scoring system to encourage manufacturers to ensure that heavier cars are not disproportionately damaging lighter vehicles.”
He added: “At the same time, the makers of smaller, lighter cars can benefit from these valuable learnings. We know car manufacturers have the capability to design and build frontal structures that can better manage the proportions and mass of the vehicle and the violent change in momentum that comes with a front collision. We believe Euro NCAP’s impartial testing can bring about significant improvements in this critical sector of car safety, and we will continue to monitor the market developments in this area.”
