It may be small, but the latest EuroNCAP results have proven that the new Fiat 500 is strong and safe with the 500 picking up an outstanding five star rating and the organisers of the world’s toughest independent safety testing organisation have praised Fiat for providing safety features that enable diminutive Fiat to beat bigger cars when it comes to accident protection.

"The iconic Fiat 500, Euro NCAP is pleased to announce, received five stars in adult occupant protection with an overall score of 35 points, revealing that Fiat has not compromised safety, even when compromising the car’s size," said a statement issued by EuroNCAP on its website this morning. Euro NCAP provides motoring consumers with a realistic and independent assessment of the  safety performance of some of the most popular cars sold in Europe. Established in 1997 and now backed by five European Governments, the European Commission and motoring and consumer organisations in every EU country, Euro NCAP has rapidly become a catalyst for encouraging significant safety  improvements to new car design.

The 500 joins a growing number of Fiat models which have achieved the maximum 5-star rating, a must-have honour for all manufacturers in today's safety-concious car market; these include the Grande Punto. Euro NCAP’s Secretary-General Adrian Hobbs commented: ‘I am particularly happy to see the adult occupant protection results for the Fiat 500. It is encouraging to see another small car offering high protection for its adult occupants.
 

The model crash-tested was a 500 1.2 'POP' (in LHD). The 35-point score which handed it the coveted 5-star rating for adult occupant protection was made up of 15 points for the front impact test, 16 points for the side, 2 points for the pole, and a final 2 points for the seatbelt reminder. The 500 also scored 3-stars for child occupancy (28 points) and 2-stars for pedestrian protection (14 points).

"The passenger compartment remained stable during the impact," commented EuroNCP regarding the front impact test. "The driver's knees were well protected by an airbag. Fiat showed that the airbag would also protect larger and smaller occupants and those sat in different seating positions. There were no structures in the dashboard that presented a risk of injury to the passenger's knees and femurs."

In the same test group class as the 500 - and also a close competitor - the new Renault Twingo, only scored four stars it was also announced by EuroNCAP this morning and, unlike the Fiat 500, it failed to get have score awarded for child protection because there was not enough room for that manufacturer’s own recommended child restraints in the back seat of the car. The similar-size Kia Cee'd and the C-segment Peugeot 308 were also announced with 5-star results.