Euro NCAP has released new safety ratings, which show the importance placed on the fitment of advanced driver assistance systems.

The Skoda Kodiaq is equipped as standard with an AEB system that detects pedestrians as well as other cars.

The latest results see the MINI Countryman and Skoda Kodiaq score five-star ratings, while Nissan’s new Micra gets four stars with standard equipment and five stars with the optional safety pack and the Suzuki Swift gets three and four stars respectively.

Euro NCAP highlighted that all four cars reach the five star levels for adult occupant protection, child protection and pedestrian protection and the variations are due to whether they are fitted with advanced driver assistance systems, for example the AEB system fitted as standard on the Skoda Kodiaq and able to detect pedestrians as well as other cars. The MINI has AEB car-to-car as standard and pedestrian detection as an option.

For the Micra, Nissan has put AEB pedestrian and lane assistance in the option pack, giving it a five-star rating with this fitted.  Only the Suzuki Swift does not offer AEB pedestrian, with AEB car-to-car in its ‘Radar Brake Support’ option pack.

Euro NCAP secretary general, Michiel van Ratingen, said: “For 20 years, Euro NCAP has been pushing manufacturers to fit new and better safety technologies: originally, such things as airbags and pre-tensioners and, nowadays, advanced driver assistance systems that will form the building blocks for the automated vehicles of tomorrow.”