2025 What Car? Car of the Year: Safety Award contenders revealed
Forty-one new models were tested by Euro NCAP in 2024. We reveal the models that did well enough to make it onto the shortlist for the 2025 What Car? Safety Award...
The new car models in contention to win the 2025 What Car? Safety Award, held in association with Thatcham Research, have been revealed.
The winning model will be announced on 23 January as part of our annual Car of the Year Awards event. The 10 models with a chance of winning are a mix of both petrol, hybrid and electric cars, and include the MG HS and Toyota C-HR, meaning buyers have a variety of engines to choose from.
The panel of expert judges from Euro NCAP, Thatcham Research and What Car? had a busy year of new car crash tests to sift through, with 41 new models going through the rigorous test regime at various sites around Europe. In fact, a total of 28 cars tested achieved the full five-star rating.
The latest Euro NCAP test criteria include assessments of a number of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), including systems that are designed to detect and avoid collisions with motorcyclists and vulnerable road users when a car is turning right at a junction and when it’s crossing the path of an oncoming vehicle. There are also night-time tests of some active safety systems.
What makes a What Car? Safety Award winner?
To be in contention for the Safety Award, a car must achieve a full five-star Euro NCAP safety rating and high scores in all test categories: adult occupant, child occupant, vulnerable road user and safety assist. It should also have excellent crash compatibility, which means a car does the least possible damage to a smaller vehicle in a head-on crash.
Its driver assistance systems should be non-intrusive and should work collaboratively with the driver rather than being too forceful. These include lane-keeping assistance and automatic emergency braking that can detect other pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. The car should also have active and passive safety features that lessen injuries to pedestrians and cyclists in front-end impacts.
The final attribute looked for this year is a speed assistance system that shows the current limit and alerts drivers to upcoming changes in speed limits.
"There are many competing safety imperatives for carmakers to contend with, from designing front-end structures that are compatible with other vehicles and consider vulnerable road user safety, to striking the right balance between achieving good ADAS performance during testing and in the real world. The good news is that the vehicles in the What Car? Safety Award shortlist broadly demonstrates that it is possible to implement ADAS effectively without compromising the driving experience," said Richard Billyeald, chief research and operations officer at Thatcham Research.
The 10 models in contention for the What Car? Safety Award:
1. Audi Q6 e-tron
The Audi Q6 e-tron provides a very good level of protection for adults of all sizes and children who are travelling in the car, but it’s not a very benign crash partner in an oncoming collision with another vehicle. It also has a child presence detection system. Active safety is another strong point, with the AEB system able to detect other vehicles and automatically activate to prevent a crash in most test scenarios. The system’s response to cyclists is good, but only average when it comes to pedestrians.
"The Q6 E-Tron benefits from an excellent driver assistance system and collaborative lane keep assist. Driver information provided to the user is extremely intuitive. It is also the year's highest scorer in Euro NCAP's child occupant protection tests," commented Thatcham Research judge, Richard Billyeald.
Audi Q6 e-tron Euro NCAP crash test scores
Adult occupant protection 91%
Child occupant protection 92%
Pedestrian protection 81%
Safety assist 80%
2. Mazda CX-80
The Mazda CX-80 scored the maximum possible points for protecting six and 11-year-old children in both the front and side impact crash tests. In spite of its size, it's fairly benign to a smaller vehicle in a head-on crash. The front end has also been designed to minimise injuries to pedestrians and cyclists, should it have a collision with them. Additionally, the CX-80 is fitted with a driver monitoring system to detect fatigue and a speed assistance system that alerts the driver to speed limits.
"The CX-80 has good impact compatibility and vulnerable road user safety performance, especially for a large SUV," said Thatcham judge, Yousif Al-Ani.
Mazda CX-80 Euro NCAP crash test scores
Adult occupant protection 92%
Child occupant protection 88%
Pedestrian protection 84%
Safety assist 79%
3. Mercedes E-Class
The Mercedes E-Class is the highest-scoring car of all those tested by Euro NCAP in 2024. Its score of 90% for child occupant protection and 87% for safety assist are slightly higher than those awarded to the Volkswagen Passat, and its automatic emergency braking system is the best overall for detecting other vehicles and pedestrians. Its lane-keeping and speed assistance systems both work well in a range of situations. However, it lost marks in our judging because lower-spec models get a less user-friendly version of the speed assistance system.
"The E-Class is one of the top 2024 Euro NCAP performers. It also had a 100% displayed speed limit accuracy when tested," said Richard Billyeald.
Mercedes E-Class Euro NCAP crash test scores
Adult occupant protection 92%
Child occupant protection 90%
Pedestrian protection 84%
Safety assist 87%
4. Mini Countryman
Although the Mini Countryman didn’t score as highly as the Mercedes-Benz E-Class or Volkswagen Passat in Euro NCAP tests, its scores across all four categories are good. It has many excellent active safety features, which are very similar to those in the latest BMW 5 Series and i5. The Countryman’s speed assistance is the best of all the latest systems. It’s extremely accurate at detecting upcoming speed limits and alerting the driver to them, and it’s the only system that gives the driver a visual distance countdown to when the speed limit will change.
"In addition to its strong safety performance, the Countryman offers a well-implemented intelligent speed assist system with excellent driver information, including displaying the distance to upcoming speed limits," commented Yousif Al-Ani.
Mini Countryman Euro NCAP crash test scores
Adult occupant protection 83%
Child occupant protection 87%
Pedestrian protection 81%
Safety assist 79%
5. MG HS
The MG HS family SUV offers a high level of crash protection for adults and children, and it’s fairly benign to a smaller vehicle in a head-on collision. In addition, its autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system is good at detecting other vehicles and avoiding collisions with them in most scenarios.
"The HS offers a comprehensive driver assistance system as standard, and it's competitively priced meaning more drivers are likely to benefit from its safety systems," commented Richard Billyeald.
MG HS Euro NCAP crash test scores
Adult occupant protection 90%
Child occupant protection 85%
Pedestrian protection 83%
Safety assist 74%
6. Skoda Kodiaq
While the Kodiaq is a great place to be in the event of an accident, it’s not as benign as other new car models in a head-on crash with a smaller vehicle. It has an advanced eCall system that alerts the emergency services in the event of a crash, and there is a system to prevent secondary impacts after the car has been in a collision. Occupants would be able to open the Kodiaq’s doors and windows if the vehicle became submerged in water.
"The Kodiaq has an all-round well implemented driver assistance system. It also performs strongly in assessments of post-crash technologies such as eCall," said Yousif Al-Ani.
Skoda Kodiaq Euro NCAP crash test scores
Adult occupant protection 89%
Child occupant protection 83%
Pedestrian protection 82%
Safety assist 78%
7. Toyota C-HR
As well as good occupant protection in a collision, the C-HR is not too harmful to another vehicle in a head-on impact. It gained maximum points in its child occupant protection tests, and it has an indirect child presence detection system, which issues a warning when a child or infant may have been left in the car.
"The C-HR has strong vulnerable road user safety performance. In fact, it gained the highest score in this area in Euro NCAP's tests," said Richard Billyeald.
Toyota C-HR Euro NCAP crash test scores
Adult occupant protection 85%
Child occupant protection 86%
Pedestrian protection 86%
Safety assist 79%
8. Volkswagen Passat
The latest Volkswagen Passat is an exceptionally good all-rounder for safety. Its adult occupant protection score of 93% is the second highest of all the 41 cars tested in the past year, and it’s among the top performers for protecting vulnerable road users and for safety assistance systems that help drivers to avoid collisions in the first place.
The Passat’s front bumper is wide and deep, and its structure is designed to make it less harmful to a smaller vehicle in a head-on impact. The lane-keeping assistance system also works particularly well, picking up lane markings on a wide variety of roads, including country lanes, and gently guiding the car back into its lane, rather than moving it too sharply.
"The Passat has a very well-implemented driver assistance system and strong safety performance across the board. It is also the highest scoring car on the shortlist in Euro NCAP's adult occupant safety tests," said Yousif Al-Ani.
Volkswagen Passat Euro NCAP crash test scores
Adult occupant protection 93%
Child occupant protection 87%
Pedestrian protection 82%
Safety assist 80%
9. Volvo EX30
The EX30 may be Volvo’s smallest model, but it doesn’t stint on safety. As well as providing a safe environment for adults and children should a collision occur, the EX30 is designed to reduce injuries to vulnerable road users should the car hit them. The AEB system is good at identifying other vehicles, and the lane support system gently guides the car back into its lane without being too forceful.
"The EX30 has one of the most capable direct driver monitoring systems of the shortlisted vehicles, being able to detect a range of distractions and sleep/microsleep scenarios," commented Yousif Al-Ani.
Volvo EX30 Euro NCAP crash test scores
Adult occupant protection 88%
Child occupant protection 85%
Pedestrian protection 79%
Safety assist 80%
10. XPeng G6
Although adult and occupant crash protection levels in the XPeng G6 are not up with the very best new car models on sale, it provides a safe environment for adults inside the vehicle. Protection for children is better, with the model scoring maximum points in both front and side impacts. Its active safety kit includes an AEB system that’s good at preventing accidents with vulnerable road users.
"The G6 delivers a good safety performance for a new market entrant, especially the direct driver monitoring and lane centering systems," said Richard Billyeald.
XPeng G6 Euro NCAP crash test scores
Adult occupant protection 88%
Child occupant protection 85%
Pedestrian protection 81%
Safety assist 75%
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