Euro NCAP has published safety ratings for four new cars assessed under its 2026 testing protocols, with the AION UT, GEELY E2 and Leapmotor B05 each receiving five stars.
In addition, the CUPRA Raval achieved four stars with its standard equipment and five stars when fitted with an optional Safety Pack.
The latest assessments include three Chinese electric models entering or expanding their presence in European markets, alongside CUPRA’s new electric supermini.
The 2026 protocols place greater emphasis on real-world safety performance, including crash avoidance, driver assistance and protection in a wider range of scenarios.
CUPRA Raval
The CUPRA Raval received four stars in its standard specification, with scores of 58% for Safe Driving, 66% for Crash Avoidance, 91% for Crash Protection and 95% for Post-Crash Safety.
With the optional Safety Pack, its overall rating rises to five stars. The package adds active safety technologies that improve the vehicle’s performance, particularly in low-speed driving and junction scenarios.
Euro NCAP recorded strong physical protection in the Raval, including full scores in side barrier and full-width frontal tests. Its centre airbag also contributed to occupant protection.
The Raval was marked down for the absence of child presence detection, while its standard equipment did not provide enough active safety functionality to meet the five-star threshold.
AION UT
The AION UT achieved five stars, recording 66% for Safe Driving, 74% for Crash Avoidance, 91% for Crash Protection and 88% for Post-Crash Safety.
The electric hatchback performed well across most crash avoidance scenarios. However, its frontal monitoring systems were less effective when detecting cars and motorcycles crossing at junctions.
Euro NCAP also identified areas for improvement inside the vehicle. The UT relies heavily on its central touchscreen for important driving functions, while its road-based speed-limit recognition achieved 68% accuracy during testing.
The vehicle does not feature a child presence detection system.
GEELY E2
The GEELY E2, also known as the EX2 in some markets, also achieved a five-star rating. It scored 79% for Safe Driving, 72% for Crash Avoidance, 86% for Crash Protection and 95% for Post-Crash Safety.
The small electric hatchback uses physical controls for key driving functions and infotainment, while direct child presence detection is fitted as standard.
However, its automatic emergency braking (AEB) performance varied between test scenarios. The E2 also lost points in the frontal offset crash test because of insufficient protection for the driver’s legs.
Euro NCAP additionally noted that the seatbelt for the 10-year-old child partially slipped from the shoulder during testing.
Leapmotor B05
The Leapmotor B05 achieved five stars, with scores of 66% for Safe Driving, 77% for Crash Avoidance, 92% for Crash Protection and 89% for Post-Crash Safety.
Its AEB system performed well in high-speed and junction scenarios, while its lane-departure prevention system also recorded a strong result.
In crash testing, the B05 achieved maximum points in both side barrier and side pole impacts. Its centre airbag provided protection against occupant-to-occupant head contact.
The vehicle includes child presence detection but does not have an adaptive restraint system for occupants of different sizes. Euro NCAP also found that the car could not identify an unsafe position of the front passenger, such as having their feet on the dashboard.
Chinese Manufacturers
The latest results reflect the growing number of Chinese-built vehicles being assessed by Euro NCAP as manufacturers expand into European markets.
Euro NCAP said Chinese cars accounted for around seven percent of new car sales in the EU and nearly 10 percent in the UK in the previous year. Since 2021, the number of Chinese cars assessed by Euro NCAP has increased almost tenfold.
The latest results show that newer Chinese models are increasingly achieving ratings comparable with established European, Korean and Japanese manufacturers, although individual models continue to have areas requiring improvement.
Euro NCAP has also published additional results under its 2025 protocols. The Kia K4 received four stars in standard specification and five stars with its optional Safety Pack, while the Mercedes-Benz CLE Cabriolet carries over the five-star rating achieved by the coupé variant tested in 2025.
