Collision speeds ranged from 32 to 64 km/h. Further tests focusing on such aspects as the infliction of whiplash injuries in rear-end collisions were carried out on seat crash sleds. The effectiveness of the Front Assist emergency braking system in preventing imminent rear-end collisions at city speeds was also put to the test. All in all, the new Golf scored 95% of the points available for the protection of adult occupants.
The results of the front and side impact were included in the rating for the protection of accompanying children, supplemented by an installation test for standard child seats and a check of mounts such as ISOFIX. In this category, the new Golf scored 89%. The score for pedestrian and cyclist protection was 76%. The focus here was the impact of the car on head, thighs and lower legs as well as the effectiveness of the emergency braking system.
Other assistance systems such as the speed limiter, the area monitoring system for higher speeds and the lane keeping system were assessed in the “Safety Assist” category. Volkswagen has fitted the new Golf with an all-round package of assistance systems, some of which are drawn from the higher vehicle categories. Two standard safety systems are particularly important: the Lane Assist lane keeping system and Front Assist, which monitors traffic in front of the car using a radar sensor and front camera. The car brakes automatically in dangerous situations – even at very low speeds in the city.
With its score of five stars for the new Golf, Volkswagen continues its success series in the Euro NCAP crash test – the T-Cross likewise achieved the maximum point score in May 2019.