The Toyota Verso has been awarded a maximum five-star rating in the 2010 Euro NCAP safety performance test programme.
One of the top three handling MPVs as I discovered on a recent test, the Verso scored 89 per cent for adult occupancy, 75 per cent for child occupancy, 69 per cent for pedestrian impact and 86 per cent for safety assistance.
New Euro NCAP regulations were introduced in February 2009. This marks the start of a three step programme which will see the introduction of increasingly stringent crash testing rules in 2010 and 2012. Currently on sale, Motorshow Car Buyers' Guide annual contains Euro NCAP crash tests for all models submitted in recent years. You can also check them out on its website.
Significantly improved pedestrian impact performance constitutes one major change in this three step programme, with a five-star rating requiring a score of 25 per cent in 2009, 40 per cent in 2010 and 60 per cent in 2012. However, achieving 69 per cent, the Verso already fulfils the requirements of the challenging 2012 test target.
With adult and child occupant categories also becoming increasingly strict in 2010 and 2012, vehicles now need to achieve excellent results in all four categories to merit a five-star rating.
In 2009 the iQ, Avensis and Prius all achieved the same maximum rating. The Verso is one of the new vehicles to be awarded five stars under the revised, more demanding, 2010 Euro NCAP crash test programme.
