Best-selling Ford Puma loses five-star safety rating

• Four stars for Puma, Volkswagen Touran and Peugeot 408
• Five stars for MG4, Octavia, GLC, Ranger and more
• Euro NCAP tests now stricter than ever

Independent safety body Euro NCAP has released its latest batch of test results, with the best-selling Ford Puma losing its coveted five-star rating. The Volkswagen Touran also dropped one of its stars after the latest round of testing, with several cars such as the MG4 and Peugeot 408 undergoing assessment for the first time.

As of the time of writing, the Ford Puma is currently the third-best-selling car in the UK – also taking the top spot in Ford’s lineup overall. Euro NCAP awarded the Puma a full five-star rating when it originally underwent testing back in 2019, however the now three-year-old model loses out on some of the latest safety innovations, causing it to lose its ever-important fifth safety rating star.

In its test results, the Puma scored just 75% in the ‘Adult Occupant Protection’ category. This is likely to be caused by the lack of a centre airbag, as the explanation for the score was that the Ford SUV’s ‘'control of excursion (the extent to which a body is thrown to the other side of the vehicle when it is hit from the far side) was poor. The Puma does not have a countermeasure to mitigate against occupant to occupant injuries in such impacts”. 

Ford’s finest was not the only casualty of Euro NCAP’s latest test results, though; the ageing Volkswagen Touran MPV was also demoted to four stars from five, once again due to a low score for Adult Occupant Protection.

Of course, it wasn’t just old cars that were tested; the MG4 EV secured a full five-star rating, despite costing significantly less than rivals. Less encouraging was the all-new Peugeot 408 fastback which, like the smaller 308, could only muster four stars due to its lacklustre autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system. This score was also mirrored by the Citroen e-C4 X, which shares much of the 408’s safety technology.

On a more positive note, a handful of luxury SUVs – the Lexus RX, Land Rover Discovery Sport and Mercedes GLC – were awarded top marks, alongside the Skoda Octavia family car. The electric Volkswagen ID.Buzz as well as the Ford Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok pickup trucks also got five star ratings.

It’s important to remember, though, that just because a car misses out on a five-star rating, it doesn’t mean it's unsafe. Euro NCAP’s safety testing has become increasingly stringent over the last few years, with them set to get even tougher in the future. Several models such as the Renault ZOE have, in the past, suddenly been branded with a one-star score seemingly out of nowhere, highlighting how rapidly the world of in-car safety is developing.

Of course, it’s always good to know which of the latest collision avoidance technologies are fitted to a car, and you can find a summary of any particular model’s safety and driver assistance equipment as part of our in-depth reviews.

Want to keep you and your family safe? Check out our list of the top 10 safest cars