2019 Mazda3 gets Europe’s top safety rating

THE 2019 Mazda3 clinched the maximum five-star rating in the Euro New Car Assessment Program’s (NCAP) latest series of tests. The model becomes the second Mazda, after the Mazda6 scored the same, to achieve a five-star grade under the new, more stringent 2018 Euro NCAP crashworthiness ratings.

The Mazda3 was cited in all four Euro NCAP test categories; adult occupant, child occupant, vulnerable road user (pedestrian safety) and safety assist. Mazda said the performance can be attributed to the Mazda3’s adoption of the brand’s latest Skyactiv-Vehicle Architecture, which features a highly rigid, impact-absorbing yet lightweight bodyshell; a wider range of advanced i-Activsense safety technologies to help drivers identify potential risks and reduce the likelihood of damage or injury; and enhanced pedestrian protection performance.

The Mazda3 scored 98% in the adult occupant category as it achieved maximum points for frontal full-width impact, and both car and pole-side impacts. Mazda’s Smart Brake Support system also gained full marks in low speed tests, with collisions avoided in all scenarios.

The car scored 87% in child occupant tests, 81% in vulnerable road user tests, and 73% in the safety assist category.

Mazda said superior driving dynamics throughout its model range are a vindication of its “painstaking Skyactiv Technology programs.” These also contributed to the Mazda3’s five-star Euro NCAP achievement in the form of the car’s linear, responsive and predictable acceleration, braking, handling and steering. By making the car easier to drive safely, Mazda said, such attributes reduce the potential for accidents without compromising the brand’s traditional fun-to-drive character.