Renault’s new Zoe zeroes out on safety

The newly updated electric Renault Zoe hatch has scored the worst possible result for safety according to EuroNCAP.

Due mainly to its lack of head airbags, a damning zero-star mark was handed out by EuroNCAP after crash testing and evaluating the safety systems on offer in the new Zoe – a model which has been ruled out for Australia after the previous model was axed in 2020.

Since EuroNCAP and the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) partnered together, the local arm has followed the scores given by EuroNCAP.

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It’s a shocking result for Renault since the previous model achieved a full five-star rating in 2013. However, the testing criteria in 2013 was certainly a long way from what it is now.

In releasing its findings, EuroNCAP says the low score in the 2021 retest is due to various problems but the main defect comes from Renault’s decision to remove the airbag which would protect the driver’s head from side impacts.

This was highlighted in a performed side pole crash test when the pole directly impacted the head of the crash-test dummy. The test replicates the probable outcome if the car crashed on its side into an object such as a tree or pole, indicating the occupant would have severe head injuries as a result.

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While Renault’s decision to remove the important airbags is likely the key factor in the rating, it does also highlight the extent to which EuroNCAP – and by extension, ANCAP – move the goalposts.

New criteria are added annually meaning it is hard to directly compare results from year to year, as a change of criteria can mean the loss of one or more stars instantly.

Not helping by any stretch was the lack of AEB and lane departure warning on the base model – another relatively new criteria which require both as standard.

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The starless score makes the new Zoe just the third car to ever score a no-star result from EuroNCAP. The other infamous models to achieve such a bad result were the Fiat Punto and Fiat Panda.

Meanwhile, there were promising scores from new cars inbound to Australia, such as the new BMW iX, which scored full marks, as well as the new Skoda Fabia, Nissan Qashqai, and the Genesis GV70, already on sale here.