As an all-electric city car the BMW i3 is going to have to deal with its fair share of naysayers and detractors. So word from Euro NCAP saying the i3 failed to achieve a maximum five-star safety rating will come as a blow.
Ever since the Renault Laguna was the first car to score a five-star rating for occupant protection in 2001 such results have become rich marketing fodder for car makers. BMW would have loved to follow Renault’s lead, but these days four stars doesn’t cut the mustard.
According to the Euro NCAP results the i3 rated quite well for occupant protection, scoring 86% and 81% for adult and child protection respectively. Where the electric city car was let down was in pedestrian and safety assist ratings, achieving scores of only 57% and 55%.
In contrast, other cars tested in the “Small family” segment, the Mazda3 and Peugeot 308 both recorded five-star results.
[Source: Euro NCAP]
