Euro NCAP rates Ford Mustang three-stars safe

Ford's Mustang from July 2017 production is safer than before, according to Euro NCAP, the European equivalent to ANCAP, the Australasian New Car Assessment Programme.

Euro NCAP re-evaluated the Mustang, which controversially garnered just two stars for its first test earlier this year. That drew out a response from Ford Australia, but to little avail. The two-star result for a left-hand drive test vehicle was adopted by ANCAP.

In the latest round of testing, Euro NCAP has raised the safety rating for Mustang to three points, accepting Ford's inclusion of new driver-assist technology to reach that goal. The new features fitted as standard from this month's production include: Pre Collision Assist (with Pedestrian Detection, Forward Collision Warning and Autonomous Emergency Braking) and Lane Keeping Aid.

Euro NCAP hasn't crashed the Mustang a second time to arrive at the new safety rating, despite claims by Ford that problems with airbag deployment had been rectified. In its report, Euro NCAP wrote: "The restraint system has been updated to prevent the airbag bottoming out for driver and passenger. In addition, the automatic airbag deactivation now meets Euro NCAP's requirements."

Forward Collision Warning has been standard all along for Mustangs sold in North America, but crucially, the company chose not to fit the safety system as standard at the time of the current model's European launch.

Individual scores for adult safety (72 per cent) and child safety (32 per cent) are unchanged from the previous test, but pedestrian safety has improved from 64 to 78 per cent, and safety-assist technology has risen from just 16 per cent to 61 per cent.

Other cars assessed by Euro NCAP in the latest round of testing include Alfa Romeo's Stelvio, Volkswagen's Arteon, Skoda Kodiaq, MINI Countryman and BMW 5 Series – all five stars – plus the Honda Civic (four stars) and Suzuki Swift (three stars).

Of some interest to Commodore fanciers, the Opel Insignia was another model tested to score a five-star rating from Euro NCAP. The report for Insignia found no major faults in the car's safety, but did name rear-seat whiplash protection as "marginal".