MINI has gotten infinitely better at designing for safety – despite the small size. Witness the all new 2017 MINI Countryman which is a full one start better than what is essentially the same car – the Clubman.
What is the Euro NCAP Frontal Impact test? It’s a test that takes place at 64 Km/h, 40% of the width of the car striking a deformable barrier. In the Full Width test, 100% of the width of the car impacts a rigid barrier at 50 Km/h. In the side impact, a mobile deformable barrier impacts the driver’s door at 50 km/h. In the pole test, the car tested is propelled sideways at 32 km/h into a rigid pole. For many it’s the standard bearer of the world in terms of safety. And in this case it would appear MINI has done literally as well as possible.
Official Release: As the largest model in the history of the brand, the new MINI Countryman offers enthralling spaciousness and driving properties combined with maximum flexibility. Now it also stands out with regard to safety after receiving top marks in this area. The premium compact model achieved the top 5-star rating in the Euro NCAP crash test. The stringent testing procedure established that the spacious MINI all-rounder, also designed for being taken off the beaten track, provides an outstanding level of protection on all seats in every situation.
The crash tests conducted by the independent Euro NCAP safety testing institute (New Car Assessment Programme) are a benchmark with regard to accident safety, are recognised Europe-wide and are stepped up permanently. The testers analyse the car’s crash behaviour in different impact scenarios in order to assess how stable the passenger cell is, how effective the restraint systems are and what forces are exerted on the occupants. In addition the Euro NCAP testing procedure also takes active safety technology and pedestrian protection into account.
The safety passenger cell of the new MINI Countryman proved to be a solid survival space in the front and side crash test as well as in the so-called lateral pole crash. The testers found that a permanently high level of protection from injury was ensured in the new MINI Countryman, regardless of the size and seat position of the occupants thereby also safeguarding top-level protection for children. The function of the headrests was also positively assessed as they effectively protect the passengers from neck and spine injuries in the case of a rear-end crash. The new MINI Countryman also features an impact absorber in the front apron area as well as an active engine hood for optimum pedestrian protection. In the case of a collision with a pedestrian or cyclist, the hood is automatically raised up to prevent the risk of injuries occurring due to impacting especially hard parts of the engine.
The exemplary crash behaviour of the new MINI Countryman is a result of the integrated safety concept which is built into every model of the British premium brand. Its components are designed to help prevent accidents from occurring, to protect passengers as effectively as possible from the consequences of a collision and to activate aid as quickly as possible. Highly resilient bracket structures and precisely defined deformation zones ensure that the forces acting in the event of a collision are selectively absorbed and kept away from the extremely rigid passenger cell. The precisely harmonised restraint systems in the interior ensure maximum protection for all passengers. In addition the standard equipment of the new MINI Countryman already features the collision warning with city braking function. The tyre pressure display for each individual wheel as well as the intelligent emergency call with automatic detection of vehicle location and accident severity are standard on every MINI Countryman.
Top ratings in the area of safety are a matter of tradition at MINI. The predecessor model of the new MINI Countryman already achieved the top 5-star rating in the Euro NCAP crash test. Since that time the Euro NCAP crash test procedures have been extended to include a multitude of further criteria. The 5-star rating for the new generation of the all-rounder MINI illustrate how technological progress in hallmark MINI style not only benefits driving fun, but driving safety as well.
<p>EURO NCAP TEST RESULTS – X1 vs F60 vs F54 vs F56</p>
<p>Star Rating —— 5 – vs 5 – vs 4 – vs 4
Adult Occupant – 90% vs 90% vs 90% vs 79%
Child Occupant – 87% vs 80% vs 68% vs 73%
Pedestrian —— 74% vs 64% vs 74% vs 66%
Safety Assit —– 77% vs 51% vs 67% vs 56%
Year of Test —– 2015 – 2017 – 2016 – 2009</p>
<p>I think the star rating is variable between the different car groups. A 1 star for an X5 may well be just as safe in real terms as a 4 or 5 star in an Aygo.</p>
<p>Hi Mike – regardless of the segment of the vehicle – City Car, Supermini, Hatchback, Saloon, SUV and so on – the Euro NCAP star rating is a constant indicator of a vehicle’s safety. So, within the parameters of the test – which are identical for all vehicles tested – 5 Stars is very safe and One Star is very unsafe.</p>
<p>No car currently on sale in the UK has a 1 Star rating, the lowest being the Ford Mustang which received 2 Stars. The only difference is between years of testing, when generally after 2009, and again after 2012, the tests became more stringent.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.driving.co.uk/car-clinic/check-safe-car-using-euro-ncap-crash-test-scores/" rel="nofollow ugc">https://www.driving.co.uk/car-clinic/check-safe-car-using-euro-ncap-crash-test-scores/</a></p>
<p><a href="http://euroncap.blob.core.windows.net/media/27896/euroncap-2017-mini-countryman-datasheet.pdf" rel="nofollow ugc">http://euroncap.blob.core.windows.net/media/27896/euroncap-2017-mini-countryman-datasheet.pdf</a></p>
<p><a href="http://euroncap.blob.core.windows.net/media/4883/euroncap_toyota_aygo_2014_4stars.pdf" rel="nofollow ugc">http://euroncap.blob.core.windows.net/media/4883/euroncap_toyota_aygo_2014_4stars.pdf</a></p>
<p>The star ratings indicate the safety level for a car in a particular segment. I had to double-check just in case they’d changed it but it looks like it still stands;</p>
<p>“The Euro NCAP frontal impact tests simulates crashing a car into another of similar mass and structure. This means that the ratings can only be meaningfully compared between cars of the same type and size.[6] The following structural categories are used:</p>
<p>Passenger car
MPV
Off-roader
Roadster
Pickup
In each category, cars within 150 kg of one another are considered comparable”</p>
<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euro_NCAP" rel="nofollow ugc">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euro_NCAP</a></p>
<p>5 stars is still good, but I’d prefer to be hit in a big 5 star 4×4 than a 5 star supermini.</p>
<p>Thanks for that Mike. You are right in so far as the frontal impact test is concerned, but the side impact and pole tests are the same for all vehicles. Total points awarded in the combined Side/Pole impact test results, were as follows:</p>
<p>F48 16.0
F60 16.0
F54 15.6
Aygo 15.6
F56 13.4</p>
<p>Nonetheless, in general, I too would prefer to drive an SUV rather than a small car, and it explains why, worldwide, there is an unquenchable thirst for SUVs.</p>