BRUSSELS: According to the European New Car Assessment Programme (EuroNCAP), Toyota's little fourth-generation family car - the Yaris, has managed to obtain the full five-star rating.
The small car was first subjected to an all-new frontal offset test which replaces the one previously used since the programme started in 1997 and is the first to feature a counter-measure for injuries in far-side impacts.
The mobile progressive deformable barrier (MPDB) test assesses the protection a car offers its occupants as well as the risks it poses to the car it has crashed into.
The Yaris, in general, is said to have performed well in this instance with its small size and benign front end making it one of the less aggressive crash partners on the road.
Two centre-mounted airbags inflate in side impacts to limit an occupants’ travel to the opposite side of the vehicle and to mitigate the risk of occupant-to-occupant contact.
The Yaris also showcases the rapid advancements in crash avoidance technology with its latest generation of Toyota Safety Sense which can now stop the vehicle during turning to avoid a crash with oncoming traffic.
In addition to the new assessment, the Audi e-tron Sportback variant also managed to join the five-star "club" as well as the Renault Clio hybrid variant.
