Four-star shock for Audi TT

Euro NCAP's latest round of crash testing has held back a five-star rating for the new Audi TT, citing lack of autonomous emergency braking as a significant factor in the decision to rate the car four-star safe.

And Renault's unlucky run with Euro NCAP continues, with the new Trafic van scoring just three stars. Its shared-platform relation, the Opel/Vauxhall Vivaro, has also turned up a three-star rating during the same round of testing.

All Audi's work to make the third-generation TT safer in a crash has achieved little more than to tread water. The original TT was tested by Euro NCAP back in 2003 – and achieved a four-star rating then. Every ounce of progress made by Audi in the interim to reduce death or injury in the TT has been offset by changes in testing criteria from Euro NCAP.

The safety authority, commenting on the 2015 TT, awarded the car 81 points for adult safety, 68 for child safety, 82 for pedestrian safety and 64 for safety assist technology. Generally the wording of the report indicated the TT was safe for adults, although the head of a small 'female' dummy seated in the rear made contact with the rear of the front passenger seat during the crash. Euro NCAP does admit to the female dummy measuring 1.5m tall. Audi does not recommend the TT's rear seat for passengers taller than 1.45m. The rear seats copped it in the neck, so to speak, for poor whiplash protection, but the TT afforded maximum protection during the side impact (pole) test.

Euro NCAP had to push the front seats of the Audi further forward than would normally be the correct practice to accommodate adults, in order to assess child safety in the rear. Needless to say, the TT doesn't come highly recommended by the crash-testing body for carting kids around, although the test of 'three-year old' dummy in a rear-facing seat achieved maximum points for the TT. Nevertheless, Euro NCAP stated definitively that the "upright seating position" would not allow for the stable installation of "several categories of child restraint".

Pedestrian safety – in contrast with the 2003 TT's "abysmal" result – was largely a positive result, although Euro NCAP criticised the car's active bonnet for marginal and poor results around its edges and around the stiff windscreen pillars. Some of the Safety Assist technology features in the car tested were actually options in the UK market, but AEB (Autonomous Emergency Braking) wasn't available, either standard or optionally.

For 2015, Euro NCAP has migrated to a full-width rigid barrier frontal test, in addition to the frontal-offset deformable test.

"The scores obtained in the new full width impact test will provide further information on how safe occupants of different stature really are and will provide an incentive to improve the restraint systems in cars," Euro NCAP Secretary General Michiel van Ratingen was quoted saying in a press release.

Picture courtesy of Euro NCAP