The Ford Kuga Receives Five Star Rating In Safety Test

04/12/2019 11:43 Share

In the latest Euro NCAP safety tests, the Ford Kuga was awarded an impressive five-star rating.

The Euro NCAP safety test features rigorous assessments to determine how well vehicles perform in certain crash scenarios (frontal, rear and side tests) regarding the safety of the passengers. Areas of the vehicle that are assessed include Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection, Vulnerable Road User Protection and Safety Assist features.

The overall scores for each area for the Kuga were:

Adult Occupant Protection: 92%
Child Occupant Protection: 86%
Vulnerable Road Users: 82%
Safety Assist: 73%

Let’s review these scores in more depth.

Adult Occupant Protection

In the frontal offset test, the knees and femurs of the driver and passenger were well protected in the Kuga, and it was evident that a similar level of protection would occur if the passenger and driver differed in size or sat in different positions. The only area of concern would be the legs and chest of the driver which received marginal protection in the crash.

When the Ford Kuga experienced the full-width rigid barrier test, the vehicle was awarded for good/adequate protection to all critical body parts, except, again, for the chest of the driver which was given marginal protection.

The Ford Kuga scored full marks for both the side barrier and the more serious side pole crash because all critical body parts were well protected.

Whiplash injuries were also assessed, and in the event of a collision from behind, the rear and front seats and the head restraints provided good protection.

Child Occupant Protection

The Kuga was also accommodating for child passengers due to a number of reasons. Firstly, Ford’s model included clear instructions on the status of the front seat airbag, which can be disabled to allow for a rear-ward facing child seat to be fitted. The back seats also enabled car seats to be installed, with the exception of the centre seat.

In the event of a frontal or side barrier crash, all critical body parts of the 10-year-old and 6-year-old dummies received good protection. The only exception was adequate protection recorded to the head of the 10-year-old dummy.

Vulnerable Road Users

Moving on to hazards outside of the vehicle, the Ford Kuga’s bonnet and bumper provided overall good protection to pedestrians. The Autonomous Emergency Braking system, which can detect cyclists and other pedestrians, worked well, with most collisions avoided or mitigated.

Safety Assist

Other safety features included in the Ford Kuga were also assessed, including:
- Seatbelt Reminder System
- Lane Assist
- Speed Limit System

All systems helped the driver in appropriate situations, and the AEB system performed adequately when other vehicles were driving at faster speeds.