Top 10 in the safety charts revealed

Thatcham Research Centre has revealed its 10 safest cars of 2019.

The overall safest car and two runners up will be selected by judges and announced at the What Car? Car of the Year Awards 2020 on 14 January.

The 10 nominees have been selected by an expert panel made up of Thatcham Research’s Matthew Avery, Euro NCAP’s secretary general Michiel van Ratingen and Claire Evans, consumer editor for What Car? Magazine.

Avery, director of research, Thatcham Research said: “Carmakers have really raised their game this year; drivers have never been safer behind the wheel. Should the worst happen, motorists are incredibly well protected. But crucially, these cars have an abundance of standard-fit safety systems designed to prevent crashes. These innovative technologies are watching the road when you aren’t and the continued progression in their performance is genuinely exciting for road safety.”

The 10 safest cars, all of which secured five star safety ratings for Euro NCAP, are: BMW 3 Series; Mazda 3; Mazda CX-30; Mercedes-Benz B-Class; Mercedes-Benz CLA; Seat Tarraco; Škoda Scala; Tesla Model 3; Volkswagen Golf; and Volkswagen T-Cross.

Evans said: “All the cars in this year’s shortlist gain four or five stars in What Car?’s road tests and it’s great to see that they’re also the top performers in terms of safety. The majority of this year’s contenders are also affordable to buy, and that means whichever you choose you can be reassured you’re getting one of the safest new cars without breaking the bank.’