Five STAR Euro NCAP ratings for Alfa Romeo Tonale, Kia Sportage and Cupra Born

In the latest round of Euro NCAP safety tests, the new Alfa Romeo Tonale, Kia Sportage and electric Cupra Born all garnered five star awards.

Just like emissions standards, safety standards get ever more stringent every year as technology manages to keep us all safer even when the worst happens.

That means car makers have to keep upping their game to ensure they receive top ratings, and in the latest round of Euro NCAP safety tests there were three cars – and a pair of Mercedes vans – good enough to grab the top five star award.

The Alfa Romeo Tonale – the first new car from Alfa in five years – managed to tick all the boxes for a five star rating – even without central airbags – scoring 83 per cent for adult occupant protection and 85 per cent for child occupants, although it was slightly let down with a score of just 67 per cent for vulnerable road users’ protection. Still, more than good enough for five stars.

Also getting a five star rating was the new Kia Sportage which, as it’s pretty much the already tested Hyundai Tucson, was only subjected to necessary tests, coming out with an adult occupant score of 87 per cent, and the electric Cupra Born scored a massive 93 per cent for adult occupancy, 89 per cent for child occupancy and 73 per cent for vulnerable road users. Excellent scores. Five star awards also went to the Mercedes MPV  offerings – the Mercedes T Class and Mercedes Citan Tourer

Not quite making the grade – but good enough for four stars – were the Toyota Aygo X which was let down by a lack of more advanced safety systems (but let’s remember it starts at under £25k) and the electric BMW i4 which, said Euro NCAP, missed out on some crucial crash avoidance points.