What Car? Q&A - Which small car is the safest?

Which small car has the best all-round safety features?
Andrew Hendrie

Safety features are important, but how a car behaves in an accident is just as vital to its safety credentials.

Probably the best way to choose the safest small car is by considering its Euro NCAP crash test rating.

Euro NCAP stands for European New Car Assessment Programme.. It’s the most recognised measurement of a car’ safety, and is supported by several EU governments and many car manufacturers around the world.

There are three main assessment areas: occupant protection, child protection and pedestrian safety.

According to Euro NCAP, the safest supermini for occupant protection is the Peugeot 1007, with a total of 36 points. It also scored 34 for child protection and 10 for pedestrian safety.

If you are willing to consider a small family car, the new Nissan Qashqai scores even better – with 37 for occupant safety, 40 for child protection and 18 for pedestrian safety.