Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio earn five stars for safety

Italian marque Alfa Romeo has garnered praise from ANCAP, the Australasian New Car Assessment Program, for its mid-size sedan, the 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia and the 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio SUV, both of which have achieved outstanding crash-safety test results.

Based on Euro NCAP safety testing data, the Alfa Giulia and the Stelvio are both rated at the maximum five stars for safety, according to ANCAP. The Giulia's score is in line with the 2016 test protocol; the Stelvio's result is date-stamped 2017. ANCAP advises that the ratings apply to the 2.0-litre petrol and 2.2-litre diesel variants of each respective model. The V6-engined Giulia QV remains unassessed.

ANCAP states that by achieving 98 per cent the Giulia has drawn level with the Volvo XC60 (98%) for "the highest scores recorded to date in the area of Adult Occupant Protection". And Stelvio, with 97 per cent, has equalled the score of the Volvo XC90 for the same criteria. Testing for all four cars occurred during the years of 2015 to 2017. During this period the parameters for five-star adult occupant protection did not change.

“These are impressive scores which reflect the effort the brand has put into designing vehicles to keep occupants safe,” said ANCAP Chief Executive, James Goodwin.

“With Adult Occupant Protection we look at how a vehicle performs structurally across a range of destructive crash tests, but also how well the restraint systems work to minimise injury. Low speed autonomous emergency braking also forms part of this, with both Alfa Romeo models performing well.”

In the same press release, ANCAP announced that the Citroen C3 had failed to make the cut for top marks, earning itself a four-star rating for safety. Again based on Euro NCAP data, the C3 was held back primarily by pedestrian protection, but the risk of trauma to the head of adult occupants was another mitigating factor.

“Unfortunately the C3 falls down in the Pedestrian Protection aspects of our assessment,” Goodwin was quoted as saying in the press release.

“We may not all be drivers, but we are all pedestrians so it is important the design and specification of a vehicle considers the safety of those inside as well as outside the vehicle.

"The Citroen C3 scored 59 per cent for Pedestrian Protection, limiting its overall ANCAP safety rating to 4 stars.”