The 2015 MINI scored a 4 star rating in the Euro NCAP achieving 79% in adult protection, 73% in child protection and 56% in pedestrian protection.
The latest set of Euro NCAP results are out after having put a range of new models through different crash tests. While several managed to achieve a full 5 star safety rating, few missed the mark by a significant margin. Achieving a disappointing result, the 2015 MINI managed to score only 4 stars in the Euro NCAP crash test results, quite to the shock of everyone, despite the company officials suggesting that the new model was a lot safer especially offering pedestrian protection.
The 2015 MINI scored 79 percent in adult occupant protection wherein the cabin remained stable in frontal collision providing good protection to the legs of both the driver and passenger. In addition, the load on the ribs was reduced stated the results in case of the side barrier test. The dummy readings also indicated that only marginal protection was available to the abdomen, while the pole test results rated the chest and abdomen protection levels as only adequate.
Coming to child protection, the new MINI scored 73 percent with the results showing that decelerations in the chest of the one and a half year old dummy were marginally high despite the dummy being faced rearward. For the 3 year old dummy, the forces in the chest and neck were marginally high as well even though it was seated in a forward facing restraint. The major safety issue with the new MINI however has been pedestrian protection. Scoring just 56 percent, the active bonnet’s front edge showed poor results scoring no points on either of the test results.
The active bonnet system however detects when a pedestrian is struck and uses actuators to raise the bonnet in order to keep the victim away from the engine and hard structures in the engine bay. The system was remarked to work robustly at different speeds for a range of pedestrian statures. The front bumper on the other hand scored maximum points providing good protection to pedestrians’ legs. In terms of safety aids, the new MINI comes loaded with seatbelt reminder for front seats, driver-set speed limiter, front and side airbags, ABS, ESP, cornering braking control among others.
MINI also provides autonomous braking on the new model but being an optional feature, it was not considered as part of the assessment. Incidentally, the last generation MINI had scored a full 5 star rating at the Euro NCAP back in the 2007 assessment. The 2015 MINI was recently launched in India and is brought in via the CBU route with prices starting at Rs. 31.85 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi).
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