The current-generation Ford Mustang fastback floundered in Europe’s NCAP (New Car Assessment Program) safety testing, earning just two stars out of five. Compare to the US, where the 2015-2017 Ford Mustang was rated five stars by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Why the poor score? According to NCAP, there are “concerns about its crash protection of adult and child occupants and a worrying lack of safety equipment commonly available on the European market.” Furthermore, the European car safety program says that the driver and passenger airbags didn’t inflate enough in crash-testing to “properly restrain the occupants.” During NCAP’s full-width frontal impact testing, a rear-seat occupant even slid under the seatbelt; in side-impact testing, his head impacted on a piece of interior trim.
That dummy had a rough day.
Euro NCAP Secretary General Michiel van Ratingen suggests that the Ford Mustang performed poorly in their testing largely because the automaker didn’t expect the sports coupe to be tested, and “chose not to fit safety technology in Europe which is available to its American consumers.” Ford says that the updated 2018 model, available starting later this year, will offer standard Pre-Collision Assist and Lane Keep Assist.
Hopefully, the carmaker will have worked out the Mustang’s other safety deficiencies, as well.
Comments
That is very poor Ford! Hopefully the updated 2018 scores much better than this!