The following is a release from Ford regarding the Mustang’s recent 2 Star crash test result. We have chosen to run it in full, unedited and without comment from us so that our readers can make up their own minds.
The Mustang is a safe car. Safety is one of the highest priorities in the design of our vehicles at Ford Motor Company.
The Mustang has already proven its high level of safety in tests at the NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) in the US where it earned a five-star Overall Vehicle Score and the US IIHS, a ‘good’ rating.
The new Euro NCAP rating (ANCAP used this as their own rating – ANCAP did not test the Mustang) is based on 4 pillars (Adult, Child, Pedestrian, Driver Assist Technology) and Mustang delivered a four-star result for Adult Occupant Protection, a three-star result for Child Occupant Protection and a five-star result for Pedestrian Protection.
However, a two-star result in the Driver Assist Technology pillar determined the overall result of a two-star rating. They do not take an average. They take the lowest of the four as the overall score and use that as the headline rating.
The Mustang features a suite of advanced safety features as standard including an ‘active’ pop-up bonnet, as well as driver and front passenger airbags, front and passenger knee airbags. It also offers standard side airbags, side chest airbags and driver/passenger side impact airbags. A Driver and front passenger seatbelt reminder system is standard.
Furthermore, Mustang is the only vehicle in the sports car class so far to be tested under the rigorous new E-NCAP protocol update introduced in 2016/2017, which is even more tailored to family cars and SUV than the previous protocol.
Going forward, any vehicle not having the new required Driver Assist Technologies will also get a two or below. Many vehicles tested just last year would no longer get the same rating under these new requirements for Driver Assist Technologies (e.g. Lane Keeping Aid, Autonomous Braking).
