Ten of these vehicles achieved Euro NCAP's maximum award of five stars in the overall rating.
However, two of the twelve results released make an important point: the consumer can never be too complacent when it comes to brand loyalty.
Recent surveys have shown that one of the top factors influencing a consumer's choice of vehicle is perception of the reliability of a brand.
The results show that some brands can still surprise and disappoint, overturning preconceived ideas of their safety.
Chevrolet made headlines in 2006 when the Aveo received a poor one star strikethrough result following a Euro NCAP test.
However, the new Chevrolet Cruze receives a five-star result in Euro NCAP's new overall rating with an almost perfect Adult Occupant score of 96%.
In contrast, Toyota has a string of five star results behind them, including the Avensis and the IQ earlier this year.
But the new Toyota Urban Cruiser has been tested and receives a disappointing three-star rating.
This was due to a weak result of 58% in Adult Occupant Protection.
Five stars were given to the BMW X1, Chevrolet Cruze, Citroen DS3, Infiniti FX, Mazda 3, Mercedes E-Class, Mercedes GLK, Opel Astra, Peugeot 5008 and the Volkswagen Scirocco.
Posted on 26.11.2009
