Technical The 2015 Fiat Panda Cross received only 3 stars, Euro NCAP
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Technical The 2015 Fiat Panda Cross received only 3 stars, Euro NCAP
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It's getting stupid. There is no way a modern car is 'unsafe' but this sort of thing makes them look like death traps. Modern motoring is all about making it impossible to muss your hear no matter what happens and no, I don't want a return to the days of rigid steering columns and single circuit brakes. I'm just saying there's a point where you've gone too far.
My friend used to buy old Volvo estates like that one. He managed to totally 180 one of them with a caravan attached on the M4.
They came to rest on the barrier. He is totally convinced that if he'd been in any other car they all would have died.
They came to rest on the barrier. He is totally convinced that if he'd been in any other car they all would have died.
gar074
Prominent member
My Volvo V70 came to a sudden arboreal halt in an oak tree after having rolled several times, and I walked away with hardly a scratch. Great seats and driving position, too (Fiat take note).
But the current NCAP test really punishes cars that don't have a whole host of numpty-proof electronic driving aids (lane assist, automatic braking etc), which is why the Cross only gets 3*. It looks bad compared to the opposition, but most of the opposition hasn't yet been tested under the new (2015) NCAP criteria.
But the current NCAP test really punishes cars that don't have a whole host of numpty-proof electronic driving aids (lane assist, automatic braking etc), which is why the Cross only gets 3*. It looks bad compared to the opposition, but most of the opposition hasn't yet been tested under the new (2015) NCAP criteria.
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Incoming rant/tirade:
This sort of thing really pisses me off. If you've ever driven in the U.S. you know how bad drivers really can be. They have the largest, widest roads with some of the best enforcement of traffic laws and yet they treat these ton-heavy machinery like a toy. Electronic driver aids that only add to the incompetence of drivers (yet assume the responsibility of "safety" in tests) only give these drivers a further false sense of security thereby actively adding to the problem (of inattentive driving). I also take issue with pedestrian safety standards. The laws of physics dictate that a massive piece of metal will pretty surely hurt the meatbag that is a human body. The laws of nature dictate that if you want to survive, you don't pick fights with things bigger than yourself. Combine these two real-world realities and basically we're trying to break common sense with pedestrian safety standards. It has come to the point where hood lines are so high (to protect precious skulls from breaking) that you can't see out of the damn car and see the pedestrians in the first place. By my obviously flawless logic, I also take issue with traffic laws that prioritize pedestrians over vehicles when road accidents are involved. In Turkey, for example, if you hit a pedestrian (doesn't matter if it's a crosswalk or not, or if they had a green light to cross at the crosswalk), the traffic law assigns 40% fault right off the bat. This includes dingbats who try to cross 6 lane motorways rather than using the underpass or overpass.
Now, back to your regularly scheduled programming of everything Panda.
This sort of thing really pisses me off. If you've ever driven in the U.S. you know how bad drivers really can be. They have the largest, widest roads with some of the best enforcement of traffic laws and yet they treat these ton-heavy machinery like a toy. Electronic driver aids that only add to the incompetence of drivers (yet assume the responsibility of "safety" in tests) only give these drivers a further false sense of security thereby actively adding to the problem (of inattentive driving). I also take issue with pedestrian safety standards. The laws of physics dictate that a massive piece of metal will pretty surely hurt the meatbag that is a human body. The laws of nature dictate that if you want to survive, you don't pick fights with things bigger than yourself. Combine these two real-world realities and basically we're trying to break common sense with pedestrian safety standards. It has come to the point where hood lines are so high (to protect precious skulls from breaking) that you can't see out of the damn car and see the pedestrians in the first place. By my obviously flawless logic, I also take issue with traffic laws that prioritize pedestrians over vehicles when road accidents are involved. In Turkey, for example, if you hit a pedestrian (doesn't matter if it's a crosswalk or not, or if they had a green light to cross at the crosswalk), the traffic law assigns 40% fault right off the bat. This includes dingbats who try to cross 6 lane motorways rather than using the underpass or overpass.
Now, back to your regularly scheduled programming of everything Panda.
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Ahh oyumurtaci. I made a similar rant on a yank MG forum about a year ago, and was soundly condemned as being anti-progress and basically a miserable old phart who would rather see everyone dead (actually, they wouldn't be driving cars then would they ).
Now they want to inflict driverless cars on us as though that's a great thing. Great until it gets it wrong and runs over someone while protecting the occupant of the 'car' with all the airbags and stuff.
Electronics do not last well in motor vehicles so this mad rush for things that go beep is just a recipe for cars being crushed early. Yes, I know my own Panda will go this route (electrical failure). I'll worry about that when it happens. In the meantime, I hope to be restoring an MGB where the most electrical thing is a coil and a set of points.
I love the comfort and toys of my Panda, but in the back of my mind is the memory of a ten year old MG ZR with electrics that were rapidly condemning it. That memory also gives me little faith in the 'safety' stuff - best form of safety, avoid the prang in the first place... but they don't teach that any more.
).Now they want to inflict driverless cars on us as though that's a great thing. Great until it gets it wrong and runs over someone while protecting the occupant of the 'car' with all the airbags and stuff.
Electronics do not last well in motor vehicles so this mad rush for things that go beep is just a recipe for cars being crushed early. Yes, I know my own Panda will go this route (electrical failure). I'll worry about that when it happens. In the meantime, I hope to be restoring an MGB where the most electrical thing is a coil and a set of points.
I love the comfort and toys of my Panda, but in the back of my mind is the memory of a ten year old MG ZR with electrics that were rapidly condemning it. That memory also gives me little faith in the 'safety' stuff - best form of safety, avoid the prang in the first place... but they don't teach that any more.
