In 2009 , for the first time, the EuroNCAP authority collated its test results from a single year and announced its safest cars of the calendar year. With a total of 103 points the Golf VI topped last year’s list, which also included an impressive 97% score for Adult Occupant protection.
When the Golf VI was first released in 2008 it was granted a five-star rating. However, in 2009 EuroNCAP introduced stricter testing procedures and the Golf VI, along with 32 other cars, were tested in 2009 under the revised program.
The Golf finished ahead of the Honda Insight in the 2009 rankings. Third on the table was the new Toyota Prius, followed by the Hyundai i20, before a triumvirate of equally rated cars—Toyota Avensis, Volvo XC60 and Opel/Vauxhall Astra.
Official EuroNCAP footage of the Golf’s earlier 2008 test can be seen after the jump, reminding you just how ugly a vehicle crash in motion actually looks.