Toyota Avensis Euro NCAP crash test

5 stars. Overall excellent performance in crash protection and well equipped with comprehensive and robust crash avoidance technology

The passenger compartment of the Avensis remained stable in the frontal offset test.  A knee airbag is standard for the driver's seating position.  However, deployment of the airbag in the offset test resulted in dummy knee readings which indicated some risk of injury.  As a result, Toyota were not allowed to demonstrate that structures in the dashboard - airbag support bracket, ignition barrel, steering column and adjuster - would not also be injurious.  The results for the knee/femur/pelvis body region were penalised and protection was rated as marginal. Otherwise, protection was rated as good or adequate.  In the full-width frontal impact, protection was good for all critical body areas of the driver.  For the rear passenger, protection of the chest was rated as marginal while that of all other parts of the body was good.  The Avensis scored maximum points in the side barrier impact, with good protection of all critical body areas.  Likewise, in the more severe side pole test, protection was good.  The front seats and head restraints provided good protection against whiplash injuries in the event of a rear impact and a geometric assessment of the front seats also indicated good whiplash protection.  A standard-fit autonomous braking system operates from the low speeds, typical of city driving, at which many whiplash injuries are caused, and its performance was rated as good.

The Avensis scored maximum points for its protection of the 1½ year dummy in the dynamic impact tests.  In the frontal impact, forward movement of the 3 year dummy, sat in a forward-facing restraint, was not excessive although the neck recorded marginally elevated tensile forces.  In the side impact, both dummies were properly contained within the protective shells of their restraints, minimising the likelihood of head contact with parts of the car interior.  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 restraints for which the Avensis is designed could be properly installed and accommodated in the car except for the large, Group II/III restraint which was unstable in the rear centre seat.

The bumper scored maximum points, providing good protection to pedestrians' legs in all areas tested.  The Avensis provided protection to the pelvic region that was at least adequate.  The bonnet was predominantly adequate with some good areas, and poor results being recorded only on the stiff windscreen pillars.

Electronic stability control is standard equipment, as is a seatbelt reminder for front and rear seating positions.  A driver-set speed limitation system is available as an option, as is a lane departure warning system.  Autonomous emergency braking is standard and its performance at speeds typical of highway driving was rated as good.  The auto-brake system was tested against a stationary car as part of 'AEB City' in Adult Occupant Protection and its performance in those tests is reported there.