New Passat Receives Euro NCAP Five Star Rating

Press Release

·         Top result in the Euro NCAP crash test

·         High standard of child safety

 

The new Passat has received five stars for occupant protection in the Euro NCAP crash test. Following the Touran, Golf and Touareg, it is therefore the fourth Volkswagen in a row to be awarded the highest vehicle safety ranking. The successful model from Wolfsburg also obtained four stars for child protection, which is the best achievable result to date.

 

The Euro NCAP crash test proved it: the new Passat provides excellent protection for big and small alike. This result is thanks to features such as the extremely robust passenger compartment due to the use of the strongest, highly resilient steel throughout, which ensures survival following front and side impact. The new Passat body was therefore 57% more rigid than in the previous model. The passenger compartment proved to be so robust in both the Euro NCAP crash test and internal tests that even the windscreen remained intact. The doors could still be opened and closed easily following an impact at 64 km/h against a deformable element fixed to a rigid barrier.

 

The restraint systems in the Passat also offer maximum protection: it has six airbags (front, side and curtain airbags) as standard to protect the occupants. The front airbags are designed as a two-stage system, which means that they inflate to different degrees according to the force of the impact in order to reduce the risk of injury. The curtain airbags cover the window area completely from the A-pillar to the C-pillar, therefore protecting small and large passengers in both the front and rear seats. The passenger airbag can also be deactivated so that children can travel safely in rearward-facing child seats in the front. The new Passat is also fitted with Isofix fixtures as standard for the optimal securing of child seats.

 

Three-point seat belts are fitted as standard for all seats, the outer seats have belt force limiters and the front seats are also fitted with belt tensioners (belt tensioners are also available as an option for the rear seats combined with side airbags). An intelligent seat belt reminder system reminds the driver and passenger to fasten their seatbelts when travelling. The restraint systems are complemented by intelligent active safety components such as ESP as standard and ACC (adaptive cruise control), available as an option.

 

Pedestrian protection was taken into consideration in the design of the Passat from the beginning. The connection of the wing to the hinges and the bonnet was optimised to ensure the best possible pedestrian protection. An additional pedestrian protection cross member and a deformable foam element in the bumper area reduce the impact force and the risk of serious leg injuries. As a result of these modifications, the Passat achieves two stars for pedestrian protection and therefore joins the leading group in its class.

 

"The extremely robust passenger compartment, the highly effective restraint systems and the active and passive safety elements make the new Passat one of the safest saloons in the world," said Dr. Torsten Strutz, Head of Passenger Car Safety Development at Volkswagen. "The fact that this is the fourth time in a row that one of our models has been awarded five starts in the Euro NCAP crash test shows that Volkswagen is setting standards in safety and occupant protection."

Frontal Impact

The body suffered minimal deformation and, with dual stage frontal airbags, belt pre-tensioners and load limiters, helped control and limit the forward movement of adult occupants. These devices, and the stable structure worked well, keeping the loads on the driver’s and passenger’s chest and legs low. However, the driver risked leg injuries from contact with the steering column. The footwell suffered little deformation or intrusion and control of the foot pedals was good.

Side Impact

An impressive side impact protection system included seat mounted thorax airbags and a head curtain airbag, which also protects those seated in the rear. The Passat gained a maximum score in this section of the tests.

Child Protection

The passenger frontal airbag has an on/off inside the glove box. A permanent text label is next to it, while the airbag’s status is shown on the centre console’s info screen. The older child sat in a forward facing VW branded Britax Romer Duo Plus, which was installed in the car using the ISOFIX anchorages and top tether. The older child dummy’s chest instrumentation recorded high loads in the frontal impact. The younger child used a rear facing VW branded Britax Romer Baby Safe Plus fitted using ISOFIX anchorages and a support leg. This protected well throughout.

Pedestrian Protection

Protection was reasonable. The bumper met test requirements and the bonnet top cushioned where a child’s head might strike it. It also protected adult heads, though not so well. However the bonnet’s front edge gave no measurable protection.

Model History & Safety Equipment

The latest Passat features dual frontal airbags, side airbags, head-protecting airbag (curtain), pre-tensioners for front belts and load limiters for front and outer rear belts, ISOFIX anchorages and top tethers to rear outer seats, belt reminders for front occupants, crash-active head restraints on front seats, ABS and ESP.