LEUVEN, BELGIUM – Euro NCAP has launched its new 2026 vehicle safety assessment protocols, marking the most significant overhaul of its testing and rating system in over a decade. The new framework raises the standard for consumer protection by assessing safety across the entire journey, from safe driving and crash prevention to occupant protection and post-crash response.

The first vehicles tested under the new protocols, the BMW iX3 and ZEEKR 7GT, both achieved Euro NCAP’s highest five-star safety rating, demonstrating that manufacturers are successfully meeting the more demanding standards.

The updated assessment is built around four key stages of safety:

• Safe Driving: supporting drivers through intuitive controls and effective assistance systems.
• Crash Avoidance: helping identify hazards and prevent or mitigate collisions.
• Crash Protection: protecting occupants and other road users through vehicle structure, airbags and restraint systems.
• Post Crash: assisting emergency response and occupant rescue after a collision.

The BMW iX3 impressed with its physical controls, strong crash protection and excellent post-crash performance, while the ZEEKR 7GT stood out for its advanced driver monitoring and crash avoidance technologies. Both vehicles earned Euro NCAP’s highest five-star safety rating under the new assessment. Their scores were as follows:

BMW iX3

• Safe Driving: 73%
• Crash Avoidance: 83%
• Crash Protection: 86%
• Post Crash Safety: 95%

ZEEKR 7GT

• Safe Driving: 79%
• Crash Avoidance: 89%
• Crash Protection: 93%
• Post Crash Safety: 95%

“The new Euro NCAP protocols were introduced as much in response to consumer feedback as they were in response to evolving engineering capabilities and innovation around technology.

The five-star scores of the BMW iX3 and ZEEKR 7GT show that car makers can produce models that are safe on many levels, from the simple but important inclusion of physical switches and buttons to the way driver aids feel in-tune with the driver rather than at-odds with them.

Automotive safety has evolved a great deal since Euro NCAP published its first test results in early 1997, and our organisation is proud to have played a part in striving for safer vehicles and roads. We believe Euro NCAP’s latest testing protocols will play a key role in that journey toward safer cars,” said Dr Aled Williams, Programme Director, Euro NCAP.

The introduction of the new protocols reflects both advances in vehicle technology and evolving consumer expectations, establishing a new benchmark for automotive safety while recognising manufacturers’ ability to meet increasingly demanding standards.

Read the full press release here.

Editor’s note
For full results, visit www.euroncap.com or Euro NCAP’s newsroom for journalists.
For media information, please contact Cordelia Wilson at media@euroncap.com.