I always believed that the European new car assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) had its heart in the right place, meant well, tried to do things fair and square. since 1996 it has been naming the cars it considers to be safest and least safe. and for that guidance, we should be grateful.
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But I fear the outfit, which is formally backed by the UK and other Governments, may be losing the plot. From its HQ in Belgium, Euro NCAP says that it has lately altered the way it evaluates and scores the cars it focuses on. crash awareness, prevention and protection are changing hugely, as is on-board safety kit. legislation is going through enormous change, too. Euro NCAP attempts to keep up with all this, but seems to be struggling as it tries to judge the real-world relevance of such changes and how to factor them into its five-star rating system that can make or break the appeal and sales of new models.
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“The meaning of the stars” has been “significantly altered” recently, it says. put another way, it has unhelpfully and confusingly shifted the goalposts. Like-for-like comparisons of star ratings for new cars in the late 2010s and new cars in the early 2020s are near impossible as a result. In years past it was comparatively easy for a modest supermini to receive a maximum five-star rating. Today, not only does occupant safety have to be excellent, a car also requires no end of electronic safety features.