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Maximum five stars for new 9-3 in EuroNCAP tests
The recently launched all new Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan has been awarded a maximum five star rating in the latest EuroNCAP crash tests.
Saabs new premium compact sedan, developed at a cost of over $1 billion, is now officially rated as one of the very safest cars in the world.
The five star rating was given to the Saab 9-3 after it performed to the highest levels in both the frontal and side impact crash tests the latter with a 100 % perfect score.
These excellent results are very gratifying. EuroNCAP is an independent organisation, completely separate from car manufacturers, whose evaluations contain accessible and objective information for car buyers, says Mr. Per Lenhoff, Head of Crash Safety Development at Saab in Sweden.
It is our Real Life Safety approach that controls collision safety development at Saab.
Real Life Safety means that Saabs constant aim is to develop cars that provide the best possible safety in real world crashes. That is why Saab engineers continually examine cars that have been involved in real life collisions.
The results of these studies form the basis for improvements in construction and safety solutions, in addition to Saabs own collision testing programme methods which comprise a total of 75 different crash test configurations.
Real-life situations are difficult to predict and no two collisions are alike. That is why the lessons learned from actual collisions contribute invaluable information and why we perform tests which are considerably tougher and more comprehensive than those required by law, says Per Lenhoff.
EuroNCAP conducts tests using three types of collision: a frontal crash at 64 km/h, a side crash at 50 km/h and pole crash in line with the drivers head at 29 km/h.
It is in these three tests for which the all new Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan has been awarded five stars; a follow-up to the Saab 9-5s success in 2000 when it was judged to be the safest car tested by EuroNCAP to that time.
Saab has attracted a great deal of attention recently in various crash studies. The SAHR (Saab Active Head Restraint) fitted standard on all Saabs since 1998 has been at the centre of much of the praise.
A recent study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the United States found the SAHR reduced neck injury claims in rear-end collisions by 43 %.
In November 2001, The Journal of Trauma in the US published a comparison study between SAHR-equipped Saabs and older Saabs with traditional head restraints. The survey was based on actual collisions and showed that the SAHR reduced the risk of serious whiplash injuries as a result of rear-end impacts by a substantial 75 %.
For further information on EuroNCAP visit www.euroncap.com
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