Euro NCAP has revealed its 2021 Best in Class cars, which names the best-performing cars crash-tested by the safety organisation last year.
The Mercedes-EQ EQS tops the list, coming out ahead in both the executive and pure electric categories.
Another all-electric car, the Skoda Enyaq iV, won the large off-road category.
At the more affordable end, the Skoda Fabia, Toyota Yaris Cross and Nissan Qashqai all led their categories.
A number of runners-up were also named by Euro NCAP – with the Polestar 2 twice being ranked runner-up behind the Mercedes-EQ EQS.
Best-in-Class rules
Euro NCAP uses strict rules to determine the Best-in-Class cars. For example, there have to be at least three entrants in each category, and the winners must achieve a five-star rating.
They also shouldn’t have any critical body region coloured in red during the full-scale tests – this was one of the factors behind the Renault Zoe’s disastrous zero-star score.
The winner will be the car with the highest overall score of cars in the same category.
Interestingly, if two cars are tied, the winner will be the cheaper car of the two.
“We saw quite a number of new car models coming to the market, many of them electric or hybrid, and many of them achieving five-star ratings despite the demanding requirements,” said Euro NCAP secretary general Michiel van Ratingen.
“Well done to the winners as well as to the runners-up, some of which were very close contenders for the top slot in their respective categories.”
Euro NCAP 2021 Best in Class cars
Executive
- Winner: Mercedes-EQ EQS
- Runner-up: Polestar 2
Large off-road
- Winner: Skoda Enyaq iV
- Runner-up: BMW iX
Small family car
- Winner: Skoda Fabia
- Runner-up: not awarded as no other small family car scored five stars in 2021
Small off-road
- Winner: Nissan Qashqai
- Runner-up: Volkswagen ID.4
Small MPV
- Winner: Toyota Yaris Cross
- Runner-up: Volkswagen Caddy
Pure electric
- Winner: Mercedes-EQ EQS
- Runner-up: Polestar 2
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