Renault Zoe and Dacia Spring fail crash test

After two disastrously failed crash tests in the Euro NCAP, the car manufacturer Renault is under pressure to justify its affordable electric models. "All regulatory safety requirements are met," the French company said in response. However, they reacted quickly and plan to equip the Zoe with an emergency brake assistant including pedestrian detection as standard from March 2022, which is currently not included as standard. The crash testers also criticized the poor side-impact protection due to the lack of head airbags and the fact that parts of the dashboard intruded into the passenger compartment. This is all the more annoying because the 2013 model year Zoe was still equipped with head-side airbags and received the brand's usual five stars.

Prefer Cameras and Radar to Head Airbags

Instead of head airbags - costing about two to three euros per vehicle - sensors for the camera and radar systems, worth 50 to 70 euros, were added in the 2019 facelift as the basis for further assistance systems, the manufacturer justified to the specialist magazine Auto, Motor, Sport. The omission seemed negligible because their own accident analyses by the LAB, conducted together with the Stellantis group, did not reveal a single pole impact accident among the then 300,000 "active" Zoes, but numerous collisions with pedestrians or cyclists where the assistance systems were more effective.

The combination of side and head airbags could also have negative consequences for occupant protection under certain circumstances. A more helpful curtain airbag, in turn, would require a completely different body structure and would exceed the budget for the model presented in 2013, Renault further argued. However, they would no longer make the same decision in light of the NCAP disaster, the manufacturer admitted to AMS.

Fiat 500e and MG Marvel achieve four stars

Euro NCAP recently published its last safety ratings for 2021, covering the best to worst results in all vehicle categories. Of the eleven new models tested, seven achieved the top rating of five stars, including the BMW iX, the Genesis G70 and GV70, the Mercedes-EQ EQS, the Nissan Qashqai, the Škoda Fabia, and the Volkswagen Caddy. The electric FIAT 500e and the Marvel R from MG also performed well, each receiving 4 stars. However, the generally positive year-end results included a sour note as the Dacia Spring and the revamped ZOE scored only one and zero stars respectively. They performed even worse than expected, the organization explained.

Impressive upper class: iX and EQS shine with top ratings

This year's five-star winners range from affordable superminis and small vans to luxurious upper-class electric cars. Despite different drivetrains and price ranges, all five-star cars performed very well overall in crash protection and accident avoidance. Outstanding performances included the new Nissan Qashqai in the area of safety assistants and the Mercedes-EQS in passenger protection for adults and children. FIAT's electric supermini 500e and the new MG Marvel R also demonstrated strong performances, earning commendable four-star ratings.

"Bravo to these manufacturers for providing consumers with the safety level they expect. These results highlight once again that safety depends on good technology and less on the type of drivetrain or the price itself," said Michiel van Ratingen, Secretary General of Euro NCAP.

Popular electric vehicles with downsides: Renault Zoe

As consumers are urged from all sides to switch to battery-powered electric cars, it's not surprising that some automakers are bringing more affordable products to market that can appeal to a wider audience. Renault was among the first to successfully capture the market with the popular ZOE, which launched in 2013. The "new" ZOE, a facelift introduced in 2020, received some battery improvements but no additional safety features.

Airbags downgraded - Deductions in rating

On the contrary, criticize the crash testers: The side airbag in the seat, which previously protected the head and chest, was replaced by a less effective pure thorax airbag, resulting in deteriorated occupant protection. The new ZOE offers poor overall protection in accidents, poor protection for unprotected road users, and no meaningful accident avoidance technology, disqualifying it from all stars, according to the harsh verdict.

Dacia Spring: Budget unfortunately also in the crash test

Unfortunately, things do not look much better for Renault's no-frills sub-brand Dacia, the EuroNCAP testers further explain. The all-electric Spring, marketed as a brand-new vehicle, is heavily based on the China-made Renault City K-ZE, which in turn is a derivative of the problematic Renault Kwid sold for several years in India and Brazil, the organization explains. Dacia has a loyal fan base all across Europe: car buyers who appreciate the low entry prices and are willing to forgo "useless features" in their car.

Problematic performance of the China derivative

With the Spring, however, the "masters of economical engineering" have brought a product to market that is more than just no-frills. Its performance in crash tests is "downright problematic, with a high risk of life-threatening injuries to the driver's chest and the passenger's head in frontal crash tests, and poor chest protection in side impacts," according to the verdict. The mediocre crash performance and poor crash-avoidance technology lead to a one-star rating for the Dacia Spring.

"Renault was once synonymous with safety. The Laguna was the first car to receive five stars in 2001. However, the disappointing results for the ZOE and the Dacia Spring show that safety has become collateral damage in the company's transition to electric cars," criticized Michiel van Ratingen.

Just a few months ago, Dacia claimed that it "always strives to improve occupant safety" and that the company's cars always offer improved occupant protection, the organization further stated. That is clearly not the case.

"These cars not only lack significant active safety features as standard, but their occupant protection is also worse than any other vehicles we have seen in many years. It is cynical to offer consumers an affordable, environmentally friendly car when the price is a higher risk of injury in the event of an accident," EuroNCAP ranted further.