Euro NCAP, Europe’s leading authority (indeed standard ) on auto safety, has named the Ford Focus the Best in Class small family car in recognition of the vehicle’s crash test rating and advanced safety technology.
The Focus scooped one of only five best in class awards accolades on the strength of its maximum five star Euro NCAP rating as well as four Euro NCAP Advanced rewards last year, an achievement which is unmatched by any other high-volume car.
Euro NCAP also made special mention of the new Ford Ranger after it became the safest pickup yet tested by the organisation, achieving the only five star Euro NCAP rating ever awarded to a pickup. The Ranger scored highly in all areas of assessment, receiving particular credit for pedestrian protection.
“This award has special meaning because designing and building the safest vehicles possible is a core value at Ford,” said Stephen Odell, chairman and CEO, Ford of Europe. “The Focus exemplifies our approach to design cars that both help drivers avoid accidents and protect them when one is inevitable.”
The Focus five star rating was achieved through an adult occupant score of 92 per cent, child occupant rating of 82 per cent, pedestrian score of 72 per cent, and safety assist rating of 71 per cent.
The Focus received Euro NCAP Advanced rewards for these four technologies: driver alert, designed to detect driver fatigue; forward alert, which uses radar technology to scan the road ahead and alerts the driver if a collision is likely; active city stop, which helps to avoid or mitigate accidents at low speeds; and lane keeping aid technologies, which warn drivers and assists drivers who unintentionally stray from their lane.
