Mercedes EQE tops latest round of Euro NCAP tests

The Mercedes EQE has achieved a maximum five-star rating in the latest Euro NCAP safety tests.

One of the latest cars to join the range of Mercedes-EQ electric vehicles, the EQE was praised for its Active Distance Distronic with Active Steering Assist, which can help provide assistance on the motorway. It can also safely bring the car to a halt in the slowest lane if it detects that the driver is unresponsive.

Euro NCAP’s Secretary General, Michiel van Ratingen, said: “Fully autonomous driving is still some way away but the groundwork is being laid by robust, high-performing assisted-driving systems like this one from Mercedes. Congratulations to them on their ‘Very Good’ grading, and on getting their fourth five-star safety rating this year.”

There was a five-star score for Chinese manufacturer BYD too, which saw its latest ATTO 3 electric vehicle do very well in crash tests and gain praise for its latest assistance systems, while Seat’s latest Ibiza and Arona models also took home a top rating.

BMW’s X1 and 2 Series Active Tourer both gained five-star ratings. It means that BMW has managed to carry over five-star scores to the latest generation of both cars, despite tougher testing procedures.

Despite only being first tested in 2019, Volkswagen’s Golf has since been updated with a new centre airbag, lap pretensioners, junction assist and a fatigue detection system. It too scored a full five stars in this latest round.

Michiel van Ratingen added: “There is a lot of pressure on car manufacturers to extend the lifetimes of their vehicles, especially those of combustion-engined cars which will soon be replaced by all-electric models.

“Most vehicle manufacturers tend to ride it out, some may even consider safety cutbacks to maintain competitiveness. So it is excellent to see Volkswagen continually improving the safety of the Golf, to keep abreast of the latest developments and keep pace with competitors.”