The Renault Zoe has ended up being only the third vehicle in Euro NCAP history to be awarded zero stars for accident safety. The previous version of the prominent electric hatchback got a five-star score in 2013, however thanks to a lot more stringent security tests as well as the omission of specific security features, the current design scored poorly.
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The Zoe didn’t fare well in the frontal balance out accident test, with Euro NCAP citing bad security of the driver’s breast area. It done worse in the side pole test, however, which simulates hitting a tree or lamppost side-on. According to Euro NCAP, a third of these mishaps are severe or fatal, as well as the pole struck the test dummy’s head when testing the Zoe.
‘From now on I’ll be checking out Euro NCAP’s scores closely’
A crucial aspect in the Zoe’s bad performance is the removal of a head airbag, which protects occupants from side impacts. Renault introduced this type of airbag in 2001 with the Laguna 2, which ended up being the very first vehicle to accomplish a five-star Euro NCAP rating. The Zoe’s 43% adult occupant security score is the lowest in the past 11 years of testing.
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Renault has released a statement in action to the Zoe’s results, emphasising that while the vehicle accomplished a worse star score than the previous model, this can be associated to modifications in the Euro NCAP evaluation routine considering that 2013: