Electric car misses out on top safety rating due to adult and child protection, and safety assist scores.
The electric Fiat 500e has lost out on a top ANCAP rating by securing four safety stars.
The car scored 78 per cent for adult-occupant protection, 79 per cent for child-occupant protection and 67 per cent for safety assist. Respective minimums of 80, 80 and 70 per cent are required to meet five stars.
Marginal performance was noted for protection of the driver’s chest in the frontal-offset test, and the driver and rear passenger’s chest in the full-width frontal test.
With no centre airbag fitted, excursion – that’s to say, movement across the cabin – was high in the far-side oblique pole test with a “significant” risk of the head contacting the intruding door.
“As we near the end of the year and our current protocol period, we’re seeing an interesting mix of models, powertrains and performance,” says Carla Hoorweg, ANCAP’s chief executive officer.
“This is a reminder to consumers to examine the safety credentials of cars they’re looking to buy. Our website provides all this information and more, including the ability to search and filter results based on powertrain for those seeking a safe and green choice.”
Recent additional testing has been undertaken to review safety-related updates made to the Isuzu D-MAX and its partner models, Isuzu’s MU-X and Mazda’s BT-50.
D-MAXs, MU-Xs and BT-5s built from July 2022 feature changes to the design of the driver knee airbag and instrument panel for improved safety. These changes see the adult-occupant protection scores adjusted and a revised 2022 date stamp now applies.
“ANCAP encourages safety improvements as part of mid-life upgrades to ensure consumers,” adds Hoorweg. “It’s important manufacturers consider safety-related updates along with updates to other performance, aesthetic and convenience aspects during the life of a model.”
Keyword: Fiat fails to high-five