Polestar 3 beats Tesla to become the safest car for kids

The Polestar 3 electric SUV has, in the words of car safety experts Euro NCAP, “set a new standard for child safety” after scoring top marks in its official crash tests, beating the likes of Tesla in the process.

In Euro NCAP’s latest batch of testing, the Polestar 3 was given the full five-star safety rating, but of particular note was its impressive 93 per cent score for child occupant safety – the highest achieved in the past nine years, and higher than the 87 per cent reached by the Tesla Model Y. 

Such a lofty rating is thanks to what Euro NCAP describes as “good side and rear protection”, as well as a feature that shows the active status of the front airbag whenever it detects that there is a child seat fitted. The icing on the cake is a system that will prevent the driver from locking the car if they leave a child alone inside.

The programme director at Euro NCAP, Dr. Aled Williams, said the Polestar’s performance was “tantalisingly close to a perfect score and shows how a commitment to the safety of all occupants can pay off in providing outstanding protection in the event of an accident. 

“Car makers continue to rise to the challenge of making our vehicles and roads safer, and Polestar deserves recognition for setting a new standard, no matter how small the improvement may seem.”

Polestar’s latest SUV wasn’t the only model under the microscope; the Cupra Terramar, BYD Sealion 7, Jaecoo 7 and Geely EX5 SUVs also netted five-star scores, as did the new Audi A6. Yet it’s important to note that despite these strong ratings, Euro NCAP did find some faults with many of these models.

The EX5’s child-detection system, for example, didn’t meet the safety experts’ high standards, while one of the Jaecoo’s side curtain airbags failed during the safety tests. This cost the car some points, but the manufacturer said it has rectified the problem in production cars.

Euro NCAP’s secretary general, Dr. Michiel van Ratingen, warned car buyers and makers alike that “Chinese brands are developing and releasing new car models at a breakneck pace, with many scoring the maximum five stars in Euro NCAP’s safety assessment. However, issues discovered during the tests suggest potential production problems that should not be neglected if Chinese producers want to keep the safety standards that are prevalent in Europe.”

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