I mean, it's hardly surprising that the new all-electric Polestar 2 has scored a maximum five stars on the Euro NCAP crash test (which we are duty-bound, by tradition, to refer to as 'gruelling'). After all, underneath it's basically a Volvo, so anything less than a five-star score would have been a bit of a shocker. Still, nice to know that standards are being kept up.
Impressive vulnerable road user rating
The Polestar 2 actually scored an impressive 92 per cent rating for adult occupant safety (although it's worth noting that's slightly less than the 96 per cent score of the rival Tesla Model 3), with an 89 per cent score for child occupants, an 86 per cent score for safety tech, and a massive 80 per cent score for vulnerable road user protection - partly thanks to the pop-up bonnet that springs into action to cushion any impact with a pedestrian or a cyclist.
As Euro NCAP points out: "The rapidly changing nature of the global automotive industry is nowhere more apparent than in the Sino-Swedish Polestar brand. Headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, the carmaker produces the all-electric Polestar 2 at the plant of Volvo Car-owner Geely in Luqiao, China. Meanwhile, Cupra, a name familiar from SEAT models for some years, becomes a brand in itself and represents the sporty arm of the Martorell-based company. Luckily, safety is clearly central to the brands' strategies and both cars perform well in Euro NCAP's tests."
Formentor gets Cupra off to a good NCAP start
Central indeed. The Cupra Formentor, the brand's first stand-alone model (albeit one based on familiar Volkswagen Group MQB underpinnings) scored five stars too, with a 93 per cent adult occupant rating, 88 per cent for child occupants, 80 per cent for safety assistance, and 68 per cent for vulnerable road users.
NCAP also tested the incoming new Renault Arkana. This is basically a swoopy-looking coupe version of the familiar Kadjar, and so unsurprisingly shares that car's five-star score, with an impressive 96 per cent rating for adult occupants, 83 per cent for child occupants, 74 per cent for its safety tech, and 75 per cent for vulnerable road users. Again, this is all in keeping with 'family' tradition - remember that the 2000 Renault Laguna was the first car ever to score a maximum star result on the Euro NCAP test.
Solid results for Renault and Lexus too
There was also a run into the barriers and poles for the new all-electric Lexus UX 300e, which NCAP says shares the same rating as the hybrid-petrol version of the UX - so that's a 96 per cent adult occupant rating, 85 per cent child occupant, 77 per cent safety tech, and 82 per cent for vulnerable road users.
Michiel van Ratingen, head of Euro NCAP, said: "We are now a year on from when Covid became a global pandemic and the car industry has had a torrid twelve months. Sales are down and carmakers are having to find ways to cut costs and maximise profits. Euro NCAP is here to ensure that safety is not compromised, and it is rewarding that these two brands should place it high on their agendas. By now, safety is central to manufacturers' strategies and they know that it is an area where consumers will not accept a drop in standards."