Opel/Vauxhall Ampera-e - Crash Tests 2017

Today, Euro NCAP releases safety ratings for nine new cars. Opel/Vauxhall Ampera-e passenger compartment remained stable in the frontal offset test. Dummy readings indicated good protection of the knees and femurs of both the driver and passenger. Opel showed that a similar level of protection would be provided to occupants of different sizes and to those sat in different positions. In the full-width rigid barrier test, protection of the driver was good for all critical body areas and for the rear passenger was good or adequate. In the side barrier impact, protection was good for all critical parts of the body and the Ampera-e scored full points. In the more severe side pole impact, protection of the chest was adequate and that of other body areas was good. Tests on the front seats and head restraints demonstrated marginal protection against whiplash injury in the event of a rear-end collision. A geometric assessment of the rear seats also indicated marginal protection. The Ampera-e has, as standard, an autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system. Tests of its functionality at the low speeds at which many whiplash injuries are caused showed good performance, with collisions avoided or mitigated at all test speeds. However, the car did not qualify for the AEB points as its front seats and head restraints did not score highly enough in the dynamic whiplash tests.