Volkswagen Golf 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 Golf remained stable in the frontal offset test. Dummy readings indicated good protection of the knees and femurs of the driver and passenger. VW showed that a similar level of protection would be provided to occupants of different sizes and to those sitting in different positions. In the full-width rigid barrier test, protection of the chest of the rear passenger was marginal but, otherwise, protection was good or adequate for both the driver and rear passenger. In the side barrier impact, protection of all critical body areas was good and the car scored full points in this test. However, during the test, the rear driver's side door opened and the car was penalised for the risk of occupant ejection that this represents. In the side pole impact, protection of all critical body areas was good and the Golf scored maximum points in this test. Tests on the front seats and head restraints demonstrated good protection against whiplash injuries in the event of a rear-end collision. A geometric assessment of the rear seats also indicated good whiplash protection. The standard-fit autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system performed well in tests of its functionality at the low speeds at which many whiplash injuries occur, with collisions avoided in all test scenarios.

In the frontal test, protection of all critical body areas was good for both dummies, apart from the neck of the 10 year dummy which lost a fraction of a point and was rated as adequate. In the side barrier impact, all critical body areas were well protected for both dummies and the Golf scored maximum points in this part of the assessment. 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 restraint types for which the Golf is designed could be properly installed and accommodated in the car.

The bonnet provided predominantly good or adequate protection to the head of a struck pedestrian, with some poor results recorded on the stiff windscreen pillars. The bumper provided good protection to pedestrians' legs and protection of the pelvis was also good at all test positions. The Golf's AEB system can detect vulnerable road users like pedestrians and cyclists, as well as other vehicles. In tests, the system's response to such road users was adequate, with collisions avoided or mitigated in most cases.

The Golf has a seatbelt reminder system for the front and rear seats. The AEB system performed well in tests of its response to other vehicles at highway speeds. A driver-set speed limiter helps the driver not to over-speed while a lane support system helps prevent inadvertent drifting out of lane, as well as intervening more aggressively in some more critical situations.