The Euro NCAP (European New Car Assessment Programme) report for the new MX-5 has recently been published. After testing several cars to destruction the overall result was a 4-star rating which indicates good performance within the sports car class.
The report scores the car in the following four areas:
Adult Occupant - 84%
Child Occupant - 80%
Pedestrian - 93%
Safety Assist - 64%
The MX-5 scores highly for pedestrian safety thanks largely to the active bonnet's head impact protection. The additional leg impact protection that has been added into the front bumper over previous generations also gets recognition in the report's comments.
"The MX-5 has an 'active' bonnet. Sensors in the bumper detect when a pedestrian has been struck and actuators lift the bonnet, creating more space between the surface and the hard structures in the engine compartment. Mazda showed that the bonnet would deploy robustly over a range of speeds and for a variety of pedestrian statures. Accordingly, the bonnet was tested in the deployed (raised) position. Results were almost entirely good over the entire bonnet surface. The bumper scored maximum points for the protection it offered to pedestrians' legs and protection of the pelvis region was also good at all locations."
The fourth generation MX-5's advanced electronic safety measures were also acknowledged. Stability Control, Seatbelt Warning, Lane Departure Warning, and Blind Spot Monitoring systems all score points in the Safety Assist category.
Points were lost in this area because the MX-5 does not use an autonomous 'smart' braking system found on other types of new vehicle. The car does have Emergency Brake Assist (EBA) which detects an emergency stop and automatically applies maximum brake force, but this isn't classed as 'smart' by Euro NCAP standards.
The full report can be downloaded from here
