“Car makers continue to rise to the challenge of making our vehicles and roads safer, and Polestar deserves recognition for setting a new standard, no matter how small the improvement may seem.”

Polestar’s latest SUV wasn’t the only model under the microscope; the Cupra Terramar, BYD Sealion 7, Jaecoo 7 and Geely EX5 SUVs also netted five-star scores, as did the new Audi A6. Yet it’s important to note that despite these strong ratings, Euro NCAP did find some faults with many of these models.

The EX5’s child-detection system, for example, didn’t meet the safety experts’ high standards, while one of the Jaecoo’s side curtain airbags failed during the safety tests. This cost the car some points, but the manufacturer said it has rectified the problem in production cars.

Euro NCAP’s secretary general, Dr. Michiel van Ratingen, warned car buyers and makers alike that “Chinese brands are developing and releasing new car models at a breakneck pace, with many scoring the maximum five stars in Euro NCAP’s safety assessment. However, issues discovered during the tests suggest potential production problems that should not be neglected if Chinese producers want to keep the safety standards that are prevalent in Europe.”

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