Top Grade: Five stars from Euro NCAP

“Of course we’re very proud,” says Rolf Bergmann in reaction to the success in the Euro NCAP – the European New Car Assessment Program – safety test. The program is committed to providing car buyers with timely information on the safety of the most popular cars sold in Europe. The third-generation Touareg received five out of a possible five stars – an impressive performance. “In terms of safety, it’s the highest honor there is,” says a delighted Bergmann.

The Touareg is an SUV which offers loads of space and comfort. SUVs generally have a higher center of gravity than, say, a sports car, and the occupants sit higher as well. “This increases the perceived safety. The actual safety level, however, depends on the vehicle and its safety equipment,” says Bergmann.

Test method

Five stars is the top rating issued by Euro NCAP. “The Touareg delivered a first-class result,” says Bergmann, “but that didn’t surprise us – it was our goal to build a very safe vehicle. For us at Volkswagen Group, vehicle safety is fundamental, and that goes for all brands and models in the group.”

Euro NCAP (link: https://www.euroncap.com/de/results/vw/touareg/33478) uses various procedures, including frontal, side and pole crash tests, to test vehicle safety. These tests replicate the most common real-life accident scenarios that can result in injuries to occupants or other road users. Tests are conducted in the following categories:
◦ Safety for child occupants (Touareg: 86 percent)
◦ Safety for adult occupants (Touareg: 89 percent)
◦ Safety for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists (Touareg: 72 percent)
◦ Safety assist features such as emergency brake assistants and other assistance systems (Touareg: 81 percent)

When comparing vehicles, it is important to note both the year and the vehicle class in which the NCAP stars were awarded. Due to the different vehicle masses, a large off-roader cannot be compared to a compact car even if both have five-star ratings. Safety technology is constantly evolving in all areas, which is why Euro NCAP continually tightens the requirements for new vehicles accordingly.

Active and passive safety

A truly safe vehicle requires features for both, active and passive safety. Active safety features help avoid accidents and are supported by smart assistance systems such as lane keeping assist functions, driving dynamics control (ESC) and emergency brake assistants – features that also protect other road users such as pedestrians or cyclists. Passive safety, by contrast, means minimizing the consequences of an accident – such as a rigid passenger cell with rear and front crumple zones whose deformation absorbs the kinetic energy of an impact. Seat-belt pretensioners, front airbags, side airbags and side head airbags like the ones on the Touareg also count as passive safety. “Even a Touareg with just the basic equipment boasts very good performance in terms of active and passive safety,” says Bergmann. The link between active and passive safety is the proactive occupant protection system. It detects critical situations with increased accident potential, prepares the vehicle for an imminent accident by, for example, tightening the seat belts, automatically closing open windows and the panorama roof and switching the hazard lights to high-frequency flashing.

“It’s all about our customers’ lives”

The high level of safety provided by the Touareg is the result of the product development process at Volkswagen. Year after year, engineers fine-tune the vehicle’s safety features and then test them in virtual crash tests using computer simulations and then also in real crash tests. “We continuously improve the safety of the vehicles,” says Bergmann. Whether it’s radar sensors or camera support, the trend is toward assistance systems that help the driver avoid accidents. “We’re developing the next level of assistance systems, such as vehicle-to-vehicle communication,” says Bergmann. A particular point of pride? “We receive letters from all around the world. In them, customers describe how they emerged unscathed from severe accidents – thanks to our safety technology.” That’s what it’s all about, says Bergmann. “It’s not about stars. It’s all about our customers’ lives.”