ANCAP: 5 Series, 5 stars for BMW

THE BMW 5 Series has been handed a maximum five-star safety rating from the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP), excelling in the area of occupant protection despite achieving marginal scores in some areas.

Released in Australia last month, the new 5 Series scored 92 per cent – 35.07 out of 38 – for adult occupant protection, netting a perfect score in the side impact test and for the car’s city autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system.

It scored 6.75 out of eight for the full width frontal test despite registering ‘marginal’ protection for the rear passenger’s chest and driver’s upper legs and neck, and 6.81 out of eight for the frontal offset test, with upper leg protection again rated as marginal.

The marginal rating was due to the non-fitment of a knee airbag on Australian models. All other areas were rated ‘good’ or ‘acceptable’.

The pole test netted a score of 7.8 out of eight, while the whiplash test was rated ‘good’ with a score of 2.71 out of three.

Child protection tests cumulated in a score of 42.03 out of 49, scoring strongly in the six and ten-year-old crash test performance, but let down slightly with child safety features.

For the pedestrian protection test, the 5 Series scored a total of 34.06 out of 42 for a ‘good’ rating, with the bonnet and lower bumper providing good pedestrian protection, but the upper bumper and A-pillars letting down what was otherwise a strong performance.

The car’s AEB interurban system managed a score of 2.6 out of three, scoring well for AEB and forward collision warning, only losing points for the test that simulates approaching a braking vehicle with a short headway, while the systems human machine interface scored half points.

Three out of three seat belt reminders are fitted, while lane support systems failed to register a score due to the systems not being offered as standard on European versions (of which the tested vehicle was one), however Australian variants do come with such systems as standards, therefore a higher score should be expected.

ANCAP CEO James Goodwin said he was impressed with the 5 Series’ list of tech-heavy safety features.

“The 520d has been assessed against the most stringent 2017 criteria, achieving high scores in the areas of adult occupant protection, child occupant protection and pedestrian protection,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz’s Valente-based Marco Polo camper van also achieved a five-star rating, scoring highly across the board for adult occupant protection (93 per cent), child occupant protection (87 per cent) and safety assistance features (85 per cent).

The pedestrian protection test netted a less stellar 67 per cent result, while the lack of AEB features prevented it from being tested in such areas.

The Marco Polo was tested in accordance with the Euro NCAP heavy vehicle test and assessment protocol.