Euro NCAP has revealed its Best-in-Class cars, highlighting the safest models tested in 2024.

The most outstanding performance was set by the Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Best-in-Class victors for last year include the Škoda Superb and Volkswagen Passat as joint winners, the Mazda CX-80, and the Zeekr X.

The winner of Euro NCAP’s overall best performance in safety in 2024 was the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, which topped the overall safety score of cars tested last year based on a weighted average of the four safety categories assessed: adult occupant protection, child occupant protection, vulnerable road user protection, and safety assist technologies.

The Chinese Zeekr X came out top among the small SUV class, outperforming competitor vehicles from European manufacturers.

Hot on its heels, however, were new market entrant Deepal’s S07, the Porsche Macan, the Cupra Tavascan, the MG HS, the Toyota C-HR, the Volvo EX30, and the Xpeng G6.

The Zeekr X also won the Best-in-Class award for the safest pure electric car of 2024.

The Best-in-Class title for the large family car class went to the Volkswagen Passat and its Škoda Superb cousin. The two vehicles, built on the same platform and part of the Volkswagen Group, delivered the same class-leading safety performance.

There were no contenders for the 2024 Best-in-Class award in the small family car class as the top-scoring vehicles had achieved a red-body part score in their safety testing, denoting a critical injury risk in a specific body region and making them ineligible.

Michiel van Ratingen, secretary general Euro NCAP, said: “The automotive industry had a challenging year in 2024 marked by weak consumer confidence and difficult economic conditions.

“Given these difficulties, Euro NCAP finds it especially encouraging that car makers continue to place significant emphasis on safety innovation and equipping cars with the newest safety systems. This firmly places consumer safety at the forefront of automobile design, as it ought to be.”

Euro NCAP also gave special mention to the Chinese eTerron 9 pickup truck from Maxus, the very first electric pickup tested in Europe by the organisation, which scored highly across all four safety categories.

Changes lie ahead for Euro NCAP’s safety assessments, which are being revamped for 2026 with stricter requirements and new areas of testing, although the five-star rating will remain in place to display a new car’s safety performance.

Euro NCAP Best-in-Class cars 2024