Fiat Panda rates worst new model for safety

It’s not good news for the new Jeep Wrangler either: ‘Buyers outlaying over £50,000 on a car should expect more than a one-star safety rating’

‘Most troubling is that the Fiat Panda is seen as a good choice for young drivers and fledgling families’ (Thatcham)

If you thought all new cars are the safest they can be… think again. The well-respected and independent Thatcham vehicle testing laboratory has given the 2018 facelift model Fiat Panda one of the lowest ratings in its history – zero points (the maximum is five points). Only one other car, the Fiat Punto in 2017, has plumbed such depths in the modern era.

The Panda failed to score more than 50 per cent in any of the categories covering adults, children, passenger and pedestrian safety; in fact it scored the lowest of any vehicle tested for child occupant protection (16 per cent, against an average of 79 per cent). From the same Fiat Chrysler Group stable, the all-new Jeep Wrangler wins only a one-star rating.

By contrast a sizeable group of new models achieved a full five-star rating, and among the very safest are the Audi Q3, Jaguar I-Pace, Peugeot 508 and Volvo V60, with the BMW X5 and Hyundai Santa Fe not far behind.

Matthew Avery, Thatcham’s director of research, commented: “Most troubling is that the Fiat Panda is seen as a good choice for young drivers and fledgling families. But the only safety technology fitted were seatbelt reminders and the rear system failed to meet requirements, so wasn’t even rated. Where budgets are tight, consider a safer second-hand small car, like the five-star Seat Ibiza.

“Carmakers across all categories have responded positively to the more exacting tests brought in by Euro NCAP this year, especially those that assess crash avoidance technology. As the bare minimum, a standard-fit autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system should be available with the Fiat Panda. This is especially important since the car offers so little protection in the event of a collision.

“These shocking Euro NCAP test results demonstrate an inconsistent commitment to safety, as Fiat has produced four- and five-star cars in the past.”

The Thatcham testers were also concerned about the new Jeep Wrangler 4x4 vehicle, with a modest 50 per cent adult occupant protection score.

Mr Avery adds: “Unlike the Fiat Panda, the Jeep Wrangler is an entirely new vehicle and doesn’t come cheap. Buyers outlaying over £50,000 on a car should expect more than a one-star safety rating. No AEB system is fitted, which is unheard of in this price bracket.

“There were a number of issues with the Wrangler in impact testing too, in terms of deformation of the footwell and damage to connecting structures, while the makeup of the dashboard was seen to present a risk to occupants.”

Thatcham Research has administered the Association of British Insurer’s (ABI) Group Rating system for the past 50 years. Group Rating is an advisory system intended to provide insurers with the relative risk of private cars and light commercial vehicles.

A founder member of the international Research Council for Automobile Repairs (RCAR), Thatcham Research has also been a member of the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) since 2004.