The European Car of the Year is a Renault for the second year in a row. But the safety of the new Renault does not quite meet Euro NCAP's requirements.
The awarding of the Renault 5 as European Car of the Year has reignited the debate about safety, as the car has not received the maximum five stars in Euro NCAP's assessment.
It is simply too expensive, says the criticism from several quarters.
"It's no longer the case that everyone expects five stars. If we had had this as a starting point, we could have ended up with no cars in the final," Norwegian jury member Fred Magne Skillebæk tells Motor.no .
Skillebæk points out that the Renault 5 was the only car in the final that had been tested by Euro NCAP. He also highlights the car's driving characteristics and nostalgic design as factors that contributed to the victory.
– I had two favorites: the Renault 5 and the Kia EV3. It was the x-factor that ultimately decided. The Renault drives fantastically well and for us slightly older people it reminds us of the Golf GTI and Peugeot 205 GTI, says Skillebæk.
Jeanette Jedbäck Hindenburg, another expert, emphasizes the importance of Euro NCAP's ratings.
"It's a very important assessment, car manufacturers really strive to achieve a five," says Jeanette Jedbäck Hindenburg.
The fact that the Renault 5 did not achieve top marks in the safety test has raised concerns.
"But today, the vast majority of new cars get a rating of five. Losing a star is not a good look," says a source.
Skillebæk believes that Euro NCAP's requirements for safety equipment make it difficult for car manufacturers to produce cheaper cars.
"If you want to get five stars today, you have to implement so much expensive equipment in the cars that you can hardly sell them. This is a theme for all car manufacturers. Euro NCAP and the car industry are going in different directions," says Skillebæk.
The debate over the Renault 5 and its safety rating raises questions about how to balance safety, price and innovation in the automotive industry.
The Car of the Year award shows that there are several factors at play when a jury consisting exclusively of motoring journalists has to choose the best car on behalf of consumers.
Skillebæk points out that the Renault 5 was the only car in the final that had been tested by Euro NCAP. He also highlights the car's driving characteristics and nostalgic design as factors that contributed to the victory.
