The Fiat Punto Just Received A Zero Star Euro NCAP Crash Test Rating
Remarkably, Fiat still sells its ancient Punto in the UK. The car has been kicking around since 2005, which might make you wonder just how safe it is compared to more recently superminis. Wonder no more, as we have the answer: it’s way, way off.
It did just fine in its Euro NCAP crash test upon release, clocking five stars for adult occupants and three stars for child passengers, but as car safety has moved on, so have crashed tests. When put through the current, more stringent Euro NCAP test, the Punto managed…zero stars. That gives the little Fiat the dubious honour of being the first ever car to be given such a rating.
This time around it managed 51 per cent, 43 per cent and 52 per cent in the adult occupant, child occupant and pedestrian categories respectively. It was a zero per cent rating in the ‘Safety Assist’ category that sealed its fate as a zero star car - other than a seatbelt reminder, it doesn’t have much in the way of the preventative tech we’ve become accustomed to in modern cars.
Responding to the result, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles UK said:
“Safety is of the utmost importance to the FCA group. When Punto was launched 12 years ago, it was the first 5 star Euro NCAP car in its class. The importance of safety to the FCA group is demonstrated by the number of new models achieving 5 stars, for example Alfa Romeo Giulia, Alfa Romeo Stelvio and the Jeep Compass.”
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
My aunt has one.
Sends this post to her
~2015 Fiat punto for sale~
chuckles
Well then it’s one of the methods of population control sold here in India then
Worst thing is that fiat punto is one of the most structurally sound car sold here which also clocks the least sales
You are forgetting the Datsun Go and the Kwid, those two crumpled like papers.
Just when you thought India couldn’t get any more dangerous XD
The Punto would score 8/5 stars in India. That is how unsafe their cars are.
I’m pretty sure they sell the punto evo here right? That’s updated
We have one….
So a 5 star car nowadays is a 0 star car? Sounds like any car from the same era will be the same as this… I mean in 2005 there where 4 star cars… Does that make them a - 1 star now?
Agreed, but the point of the post is that this car is still being sold as a “new” car, whereas other cars from 2005 have had 1, 2, maybe even 3 complete model changes in that 12-13 year period!
Point is, most 2005 cars a not being manufactured and sold anymore, unlike the Punto
What they are trying to achieve is to make sure that manufacturers update their cars, rather than sell the same model for 12 years
For a complete bunch of crappy useless safety features. Best safety assist is you paying attention when you drive. Good thing is that you can now buy a car with zero star rating without worrying too much for your life
I seem to remember the late 1990’s Chrysler voyager scored 0 when tested at the time. And that was back then. Probably be a -5 now.
I now need to see a video of a Voyager crashing. I suppose that’ll be my baseline view for a -5 rating!
I don’t own a punto nor I like them but…
that looks safe enough for me. Anyone can explain why it has 0 stars? At least from that footage it should be more than 0, right?
Because it doesn’t have 10k costing safety assists.
I don’t understand, people take a license for driving with a purpose, nowadays we consider a car to tell us what to do safe? 2 year’s ago i had a huge accident in one of these and nothing happened to me besides scratches and bruises because of the seatbelt!
That moment when you realize that you spend 90% of your time in a mk1 Punto….
Then what was the actual scores of Volvos back then? Don’t think there’s enough stars for a Volvo crash test results.
Well in the US the IIHS put the old XC90, which had a design dating back to 2003, through the back then (around 2012) new small overlap test and it got a “good” rating.
The first step in general could be trying to avoid accidents fastening the seat belts and being careful during the driving. For 5 stars must buy a tank.
I’m pretty sure if vag group did the testings they would probably rate the 1990 golf as a 4 out of 5 stars still