The new Honda Jazz and Mazda MX-30 have both been given a five-star safety rating by experts Euro NCAP.
The two electrified cars impressed testers with their lengthy list of standard driver assistance kit, with the new fourth-generation Honda Jazz, which is now just sold as a hybrid, receiving especially high praise for its central airbag. This sits between the driver and front seat passenger and aims to avoid the two occupants ‘colliding’ with each other in the event of a crash.
The Jazz also scored well across all four categories – adult occupant (87 per cent), child occupant (83 per cent), vulnerable road users (80 per cent) and safety assist (76 per cent).
Meanwhile Mazda’s first electric car – the MX-30 – also pleased, particularly in the adult and child occupant protection categories, where scores of 91 per cent and 87 per cent respectively were recorded. Despite the MX-30 getting a five-star rating, though, the testers said it “disappointed in its vulnerable road users’ collision avoidance capabilities”.
Euro NCAP’s secretary general, Michiel van Ratingen, says “Both Honda and Mazda are to be congratulated for their commitment to safety and for achieving five-star ratings for their cars. The ratings released to date demonstrate that Euro NCAP’s new 2020 protocols are having a tangible impact on the safety equipment and crash performance of car models in Europe, including the latest electrified vehicles.”
