Toyota's Prius has been rated the safest 'large' family car you can buy in Europe following the announcement by the European New Car Assessment Program (EuroNCAP) that it rated best for crash protection in its class.
The new tests, that this year included the evaluation of new tech like autonomous emergency braking, awarded the Toyota hybrid with the full five stars for safety after the Prius scored 92 per cent for adult occupant protection, 82 per cent for child safety, 77 per cent of pedestrian protection and 85 per cent for its safety assistance tech.
This all amounted to a score higher than any other car in its large family class, bagging it class honours.
Hyundai's IONIQ was another five star car that came in for praise from the crash test safety body, which judged it the safest 'small' family car.
Beating cars like the Volkswagen Golf, the IONIQ scored 91 per cent adult safety, 80 per cent for child protection, 70 per cent for pedestrian protection and 82 per cent for its safety tech.
Finally, the Volkswagen Tiguan was ruled by Euro NCAP to be the safest small SUV.
It scored 96 per cent for adult protection, 84 per cent for child protection, 72 per cent for pedestrian protection and 68 per cent for its safety aids.
The latest Mercedes-Benz E-Class also was rated highly by crash testers but not awarded class honours because Euro NCAP is yet to test its rivals.