Congratulations to ‪@volkswagen‬ for winning the 2021 ‪@whatcar‬ Safety Award!

The What Car? Car of the Year Safety Award recognises the carmakers that have produced the safest cars during 2020 and the shortlist is drawn up based on results from the latest Euro NCAP safety testing. Judges also considered affordability, sales volumes and any additional innovative safety technologies not currently tested by Euro NCAP.
Launched in 2020 as the first fully-electric vehicle to join the Volkswagen family, the ID.3 scored a maximum five-star Euro NCAP safety rating in October – an impressive feat given that 2020’s testing protocols are the toughest ever and the most exacting in the world.

The ID.3 was the highest overall scorer of the year across all vehicles tested, performing consistently across all areas of assessment. Its Safety Award success marks the first time Volkswagen has won the category.

It was the top scorer with 88% in the Safety Assist category, thanks to the performance of its collision-avoidance systems like Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), lane departure support and standard-fit multi-collision braking which prevents secondary impacts after an initial collision.

The ID.3’s robust structural integrity combined with the latest in restraint technology – including side protection airbags to prevent occupants’ heads from colliding – also helped it to a strong score in the Adult Protection (87%) assessment and a top score of 89% for Child Protection.

Matthew Avery, Thatcham Research's director of insurance research, said: “The ID.3 is an impressive car, scoring highly in all Euro NCAP assessment categories.

“It's particularly rewarding to see such a strong performing, all-electric car like this from a mainstream manufacturer like Volkswagen. As part of the growing ID family, with the ID.4 just around the corner, this is a car that represents the brand’s motoring future and will therefore be a popular vehicle on our roads.

“It’s affordable, green, totally brand-new and can be relied upon to effectively avoid collisions and protect its occupants and other road users in the event of an accident. It ticks a lot of boxes and is therefore a worthy Safety Award winner.

“Volkswagen deserves praise for prioritising safety with its first fully-electric car. That bodes very well for the future of road safety.”

In this video, the cars featured include: Seat Leon, Toyota Yaris and Volkswagen ID.3.

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