Four stars for Audi Q7

AUDI’s newest SUV entrant, the much-hyped Q7, has managed a four-star crash rating in the latest round of EuroNCAP crash tests.

This contrasts to the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration’s similar test in the United States, which gave the Q7 a five-star rating.

In the latest EuroNCAP testing, the Q7 managed an occupant safety-rating of 30 points, but a solid 80-point score for child occupant protection. The Q7 also performed well in side impact and pole tests.

Although Audi AG was confident of a five-star rating, EuroNCAP officials said the missing Q7 star was partly due to potentially dangerous intrusion into the foot-wells during offset frontal impacts, done at a speed of 64km/h into a deformable barrier.

The Q7 experienced a rupture in the driver’s foot-well that connects the firewall to the footwell.

Audi in Germany has instituted a fix for the car, strengthening the area highlighted in the tests, but it has not submitted a revised Q7 for testing.

EuroNCAP’s chairman, Claes Tingvall, said the Q7 was an expensive, prestige vehicle from a marque known for the quality of its product.

"Those who have bought the car will be disappointed that it has not been rated higher than some older, cheaper vehicles in the same category," he said.

"People paying a premium price for a vehicle must surely expect to get the highest levels of protection." However, Mr Tingvall praised the makers of the five-star performers, the Lexus IS, Citroen C4 Picasso and Mercedes-Benz B-class.

"These manufacturers clearly believe that their customers demand the highest levels of safety and they are able to provide that very high level of protection in their cars," he said.

"It is reassuring that such manufacturers consistently achieve high ratings." The Mazda3, Hyundai Sonata and Honda Civic achieved four stars.

Honda had also expected the new Civic to achieve a five-star rating.

However, to EuroNCAP’s disappointment, the Civic’s four-star result was uncompetitive compared with other cars in its category.

"It is disappointing, though perhaps not surprising, that some manufacturers should try to make it known that they are expecting the highest award from EuroNCAP," Mr Tingvall said.

"Honda state on their websites that they expected a five-star rating for the Civic and continue to do so even after our rating has been published.

"Such statements are clearly misleading and confusing to the public.

"Honda has yet to produce a five-star car and should wait until our results are known before suggesting otherwise." Six of the cars achieved a four-star rating for child protection with the other three cars being awarded three stars.

The Civic was the only car to be awarded three stars for its pedestrian protection. All other cars were awarded two stars except the Kia Carnival which was awarded only one star.

"It is reassuring to see Honda continuing their good results in pedestrian protection," Mr Tingvall said.

"There are now a number of three-star cars and we hope that the trend will continue to spread across the industry.

"At the same time, it is disappointing to see Kia achieve only one star. It shows that some manufacturers still do not take pedestrian safety seriously.

Clearly they have much to do to catch up with the others.

"We would like to see them and other poor performers place a much greater emphasis on protecting this vulnerable group of road-users."