For 25 years, the European organization Euro NCAP Thoroughly assesses vehicle safety through a series of safety and crash tests. If a 5-star rating is the Holy Grail for all manufacturers, it has become increasingly difficult to obtain in recent years due to the revised and now much stricter rating criteria.

One of the bad students for Euro NCAP is the Romanian manufacturer Dacia : indeed, the new Jogger only got a Rating 1 staras well as the 100% electric Spring, while the Dacia Logan and Sandero Stepway received only 2 stars.

Dacia crash test: not so bad?

And yet, when we stop at the Euro NCAP crash test reports, we can, for example, see a file Dacia Sandero Stepway rating 70% protection for adultsand 72% in childhood protection, which in absolute terms remains quite correct. But why is Dacia doing so badly?

In fact, the brand’s models do not offer everything the latest driver assistance systemswhich are part of the Euro NCAP criteria for obtaining the maximum score. A choice made by Daciawhich reduced the range of its models to what was necessary to be able to offer low prices.

Dacia’s 100% electric city car passed the traditional Euro NCAP crash test with a disappointing but not surprising result… https://t.co/nk2HSsYsNY

— AutoPlus (@AutoPlusMag) December 8, 2021

Dacia crash test: shortcomings of driving assistance systems

The Romanian manufacturer clarifies through its managing director Denis Le Vot that it attaches great importance to passive safety, as the safety of residents is important to him. On the other hand, with regard to active safety, i.e. technologies that prevent accidents, compromises had to be made in order not to increase the bill and be able to offer vehicles unbeatable price.

Dacia models actually have basic car safety equipment such as ABS, front and side airbags, emergency braking assistance and even a brake system. The problem is that the latter is not equipped with an expensive additional camera capable of detecting pedestrians and cyclists: and this costs Dacia points, as well as the lack of a system of assistance in keeping in a queue or monitoring the vigilance of the driver. “Gadgets” that in practice are not always demanded by customers, and which tend to become invasive with use.

Dacia crash test: more and more severe tests

A few years ago, the absence of this technological equipment was not sanctioned: recently Euro NCAP significantly strengthened the assessment criteria, and now withdraws precious stars if certain driver assistance systems are not available. That’s how many manufacturers have dropped the rating of their latest models.

For example, Peugeot’s latest 208, 308 and 2008 models only got 4 stars in Euro NCAP crash tests, and in 2008 you need to add the optional safety package to get the famous 5 stars. Be that as it may, these shortcomings did not prevent them from selling like hotcakes… Just like the Dacia models!

Here are the results of the 2nd round of security!

➡️DS 4: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars (standard)
➡️DS 4: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars (with security package)
➡️Honda HR-V: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️stars
➡️Dacia Jogger: ⭐️ star#forsafercars #forsaferfuture @Dacia_EN @DaciaBelux_NL @DS_fr @DS_Official @Honda_UK

— Euro NCAP (@EuroNCAP) April 13, 2022