Opel Astra Euro NCAP crash test

4 stars. Overall good performance in crash protection and all round; additional crash avoidance technology may be present

The passenger compartment of the Astra remained stable in the frontal offset test. Dummy numbers showed good protection of the knees and femurs of both the driver and passenger. Opel/Vauxhall showed that a similar level of protection would be provided to occupants of different sizes and to those sitting in different positions. For both the driver and passenger, dummy readings of chest compression indicated a marginal level of protection for that part of the body. Analysis of the deceleration of the impact trolley during the test, and analysis of the deformable barrier after the test, revealed that the Astra would be a moderately benign impact partner in a frontal collision. As in the frontal offset test, chest protection in the full-width rigid barrier impact was rated as marginal, based on dummy readings of chest compression.  In both the side barrier and pole impact tests, protection of all critical body areas was good and the car scored maximum points in this part of the assessment. Control of excursion (the extent to which a body is thrown to the other side of the vehicle when it is hit from the far side) was found to be marginal. The Astra does not have a counter-measure, such as a centre airbag, to mitigate against occupant to occupant injuries in such impacts. Tests on the front seats and head restraints demonstrated good protection against whiplash injuries in the event of a rear-end collision.  A geometric analysis of the rear seats also indicated good whiplash protection.   The Astra has an advanced eCall system which alerts the emergency services in the event of a crash but, as this is an option, it was not included in this assessment.   The car also has a system which applies the brakes after an impact, to avoid secondary collisions.

In the frontal offset test, protection of the chest of the 10-year dummy was rated as marginal, based on dummy readings of deceleration.  Neck tension in the 6-year dummy led to protection for this body area also being rated as marginal.  Otherwise, for this test, protection of critical body areas was good or adequate.  In the side barrier test, protection of all critical body areas was good.  The front passenger airbag can be disabled to allow a rearward-facing child restraint to be used in that seating position. Clear information is provided to the driver regarding the status of the airbag and the system was rewarded.  All of the child restraint types for which the car is designed could be properly installed and accommodated.

The protection provided to the head of a struck pedestrian was predominantly adequate or marginal.  The bumper provided good protection to pedestrians’ legs at all test points and the protection provided to the pelvis by the front edge of the bonnet was also generally good.  The Astra has an autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system which can respond to vulnerable road users as well as to other vehicles.  The system performed marginally in tests of its response to pedestrians.  The system’s response to cyclists was good, with collisions avoided in many test scenarios.

The Astra has a seatbelt reminder system on the front and rear seating positions.  The AEB system performed only marginally in tests of its response to other vehicles.  A camera-based speed assistance system identifies the local speed limit and provides the information to the driver, allowing the limiter to be set appropriately.  A lane support system gently corrects the vehicle’s path if it is drifting out of lane and intervenes more aggressively in some more critical situations.