EIGHT OF THE SAFEST CARS ON OUR ROADS

Safety is one of the most important factors to consider when buying a new car, which is why official crash testing is so important. The leaders in this department are Euro NCAP, who release data on crash tests and driver assistance features for a wide range of cars each year.

When the data for last year was released earlier this month, these eight cars received five stars for crash safety this year…

Audi A3: The family hatchback scored particularly well for adult occupants. It was also commended for including a system that brakes the car following a crash.

Seat Leon: The Leon shares a platform with the A3 and therefore scores similarly. However, it did marginally better in adult occupant protection.

Volkswagen ID.3: VW’s new EV performed well in preventing injuries to its passengers and was quite friendly to other vehicles in a crash.

Toyota Yaris: The Yaris might be small but it scored well across the board, receiving maximum points for protecting critical body parts in the side impact test.

Honda Jazz: The Jazz demonstrated a stable passenger compartment in the offset frontal test - the centre airbag protected passengers colliding with each other in a side impact.

Mazda MX-30: Another electric car, Mazda’s new MX30 received top marks, doing particularly well in adult occupant protection, where it scored 91%.

Land Rover Defender: The Defender scored top marks in testing, despite not being outstanding in any one department. Kia Sorento: This large SUV didn’t stand out in any particular area but did well overall. Its central airbag, whiplash protection and driver assistance were all rated highly.

Isuzu D-Max: This pick-up scored top marks despite ‘competing in a segment that is not famous for highlighting safety’.