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General New Pandas NCAP Test

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General New Pandas NCAP Test

Agreed, five stars requires EPS to attain under the new scoring system.

I understand that manufacturers supply a car for NCAP testing which represents the model/spec representing their highest sales figures, normally poverty spec. No idea how the "Easy" spec compares with UK models but I notice that the tested car has no curtain airbags (unlike the 500) or EPS.

A similar issue happened with the current Panda where the Actual spec tested had a single airbag, and I believe no ABS or EBD, hence the 3 star rating.
 
gazz_bee said:
A similar issue happened with the current Panda where the Actual spec tested had a single airbag, and I believe no ABS or EBD, hence the 3 star rating.
Click to expand...

I believe Fiat also added a better front impact beam at some point during the current Panda's lifecycle, probably as part of the facelift from blue to red badges, but the NCAP test was done on the first-generation car back in 2003.

So if you've got a red-badge Panda with 6 airbags, ABS and ESP like I do, it's probably a 4-star car or thereabouts.
 
Ridiculously moronic move on Fiat's part. How much would it have cost to put ESP in every car? heck they're going to be forced to do it from next year anyway.....

How much is it going to cost them in terms of sales that their car is a 4 star car and not a 5 star one????
 
306maxi said:
Ridiculously moronic move on Fiat's part. How much would it have cost to put ESP in every car? heck they're going to be forced to do it from next year anyway.....

How much is it going to cost them in terms of sales that their car is a 4 star car and not a 5 star one????
Click to expand...

I think it's for type approvals issued from November this year so the Panda being approved sometime earlier wouldn't need it.

NCAP-wise the new Panda is on a par with its contemporaries with the Panda, Spark & Picanto all scoring similarly.

It would have been good for it to be standard though. Fiat had the first small car with four stars in the Mk2 Punto but some of the cars they've made since have been pretty average.
 
KozmoNaut said:
3, based on the base model in 2003.
Click to expand...

Beat me to it although I did mention 3 stars in my earlier post! It was the Actual model that was tested which sits below the Active spec sold in the UK.

The "films" tab in the link below shows the Panda with one airbag deployed on the front impact for 3 stars rating. In comparison, the Fiat 500 Pop result shows airbags deployed on front and side impacts and got 5 stars. The Ford Ka has twin front airbags (like UK Pandas) and got 4 stars.

So three structurally similar cars with variations of airbag configurations and three different Euro NCAP ratings.

http://www.euroncap.com/tests/fiat_panda_2004/198.aspx

http://www.euroncap.com/tests/fiat_500_2007/298.aspx

http://www.euroncap.com/tests/ford_ka_2008/341.aspx
 
KozmoNaut said:
I believe Fiat also added a better front impact beam at some point during the current Panda's lifecycle, probably as part of the facelift from blue to red badges, but the NCAP test was done on the first-generation car back in 2003.

So if you've got a red-badge Panda with 6 airbags, ABS and ESP like I do, it's probably a 4-star car or thereabouts.
Click to expand...

What leads you to believe this :confused:

gazz_bee said:
Beat me to it although I did mention 3 stars in my earlier post! It was the Actual model that was tested which sits below the Active spec sold in the UK.

The "films" tab in the link below shows the Panda with one airbag deployed on the front impact for 3 stars rating. In comparison, the Fiat 500 Pop result shows airbags deployed on front and side impacts and got 5 stars. The Ford Ka has twin front airbags (like UK Pandas) and got 4 stars.

So three structurally similar cars with variations of airbag configurations and three different Euro NCAP ratings.

http://www.euroncap.com/tests/fiat_panda_2004/198.aspx

http://www.euroncap.com/tests/fiat_500_2007/298.aspx

http://www.euroncap.com/tests/ford_ka_2008/341.aspx
Click to expand...

However they all have different interiors, all of which have a major contributing factor on the front impacts overall crash signature on the occupants.

However I feel a passenger airbag on the mk3 tested Panda would have probably caused an improvement on the test results.
 
Geddes said:
I think it's for type approvals issued from November this year so the Panda being approved sometime earlier wouldn't need it.

NCAP-wise the new Panda is on a par with its contemporaries with the Panda, Spark & Picanto all scoring similarly.

It would have been good for it to be standard though. Fiat had the first small car with four stars in the Mk2 Punto but some of the cars they've made since have been pretty average.
Click to expand...

but the thing is, what are people going to buy if they're undecided? A 4 star car or a 5 star one?
 
Most Easterly Pandas said:
However they all have different interiors, all of which have a major contributing factor on the front impacts overall crash signature on the occupants.
Click to expand...

I appreciate this, owning both a Panda and a 500, I'm aware of the differences in the cabins and interiors. Also, manufacturers occasionally get unstuck by interior changes associated with the RHD versions - for example inital UK Grande Puntos had reduced driver knee protection and needed a modification.

Most Easterly Pandas said:
However I feel a passenger airbag on the mk3 tested Panda would have probably caused an improvement on the test results.
Click to expand...

Probably, and what I was implying in my post. There are also soft points lost by the Panda in the overall score like not having seatbelt reminders - low cost items to incorporate.

Fiat seem to have gone down a similar route by not having EPS as standard on the new Panda unlike the VW up!, Skoda Citigo and Seat Mii which are 5 star Euro NCAP rated.
 
gazz_bee said:
Probably, and what I was implying in my post. There are also soft points lost by the Panda in the overall score like not having seatbelt reminders - low cost items to incorporate.
Click to expand...

No suh thing as a low cost item. Sell 4million cars and save £1 on each one, you get the general idea.

As for the belt reminders etc making up the points, I'm nr sure about others but I look behond point gaining pointlessness like that as its go no bearing on the vehicle crash signature.


EDIT: Maxi beat me to it;
And EPS is include as standard just as it has been on the mk3s.
 
Last edited:
Most Easterly Pandas said:
As for the belt reminders etc making up the points, I'm nr sure about others but I look behond point gaining pointlessness like that as its go no bearing on the vehicle crash signature.
Click to expand...
Oh, they're great! Not so much for reminding you to put your belt on, but if someone in the back takes theirs off when the car is moving it sounds an alarm. Top job if you've got kids.
 
Geddes said:
Oh, they're great! Not so much for reminding you to put your belt on, but if someone in the back takes theirs off when the car is moving it sounds an alarm. Top job if you've got kids.
Click to expand...

Yup. Pity there isn't an alarm for when people put the sash par of the belt under their arm as my mother in law likes doing.

Put "julie knew her killer" into youtube and you'll see why it's not good to have someone behind you who isn't properly restrained.
 
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