Toyota Hilux
★★★ (★★★★★ with safety pack)
It's been called indestructible in the past. Unfortunately the occupants in a Hilux certainly aren't, that's why going for the optional safety pack is perhaps a smart move.
That being said, a car of this size (if you can even call it a car) and reputation would be expected to be one of the safest on the road without question. The reality isn't that, not quite.
Ford Mustang
★★/★★★
This one's a bit of a worry. For years the British market yearned for the Ford Mustang. Now it has it, but is that a good thing?
When the Mustang was first tested it achieved a dismal two-star rating, making it the worst car in terms of safety rating sold in Britain over the last five years.
Thankfully, it was re-tested this year and it was given a slightly better three-star classification. Good, but not great.
Read our Ford Mustang review.
Fiat 500
★★★
One of the most popular cars on sale in Britain today, the Fiat 500 has almost single-handedly brought Fiat back to the attention of mainstream car buyers after a few years in the wilderness.
A great car, yes, but you wouldn't want to crash one. The Fiat 500 is rated three stars for crash safety. While that's not the end of the world, its rivals do out perform it when it. The Mini and Vauxhall Adam both boast four-star ratings, while the DS 3 is top of the class with five stars.
Looking for a stylish supermini to run around the town? This may make you rethink.
Read our Fiat 500 review.
Ford Ka +
★★★
With the Ford Fiesta now being repositioned as a more upmarket proposition, the outgoing model has been effectively been replaced by the new Ka+.
Usually when a replacement model arrives, it offers an improvement on what preceded it. Not in this case. The hugely popular Fiesta, which was Britain's best selling car, got full marks in its Euro NCAP safety test. The Ka+ could only manage three.
Still, despite the higher price of the new, re-thought Fiesta, you can bet your house it'll still outsell the Ka+...
Oh, the new Fiesta is rated five stars too.
BMW Z4
★★★
With a new Z4 just around the corner, the low rating of the soon-to-be obsolete model isn't much cause for concern.
It is, however, still alarming given that it's BMW's lowest-rated car in terms of crash testing, and it falls behind both the Mazda MX-5 and the Audi TT.
Hopefully the new one will be safer...
Read our BMW Z4 review.
Dacia Logan MCV
★★★
It's been a few years since the Dacia Logan MCV was tested and although the family car from Renault's budget brand is an attractive proposition based on its cost, it's safety rating fails to inspire confidence.
Dacia's value range has ensured it has become an instant hit in the UK market — Their most expensive offering is the Logan MCV Stepway which starts at £11,495 — but every car in the range has a meagre three star crash safety rating, save for the latest iteration of the Sandero.
Three star safety ratings aren't terrible, but they'll surely make you think twice before saving a few extra pounds.
Read our Dacia Logan MCV review.
Suzuki Swift
★★★ (★★★★ with safety pack)
The Suzuki Swift isn't a bad car at all, and it presents excellent value for money, but in terms of safety, it's far from the top of the tree in its standard guise.
If you want the safety back and the four-star security that comes with it, you'll have to get a model towards the top of the range.
Read our Suzuki Swift review.
Fiat Tipo
★★★ (★★★★ with safety pack)
Another three star car that has the potential to be a more acceptable four stars.
Fiat brought back the old-school Tipo name plate at the beginning of the year, and offered a pair of safety packs with it. Safety Pack A includes a automatic emergency braking, a speed limiter, and adaptive cruise control. Safety Pack B offers everything except for the adaptive cruise control.
Those features come as standard on the top of the range model, but you'll have to pay £500 for Safety Pack A, or £250 for Safety Pack B elsewhere in the range. They're not available on the base model either.
Read our Fiat Tipo review.
Kia Picanto
★★★ (★★★★ with safety pack)
Kia's low-priced supermini doesn't come at a cost, but increased safety does.
The three-star base rating is decent enough for you to not count it out, but you can add another star if you dip into your pocket.
Compared with the previous generation Picanto, the latest iteration contains tougher steel and bonded joints in its construction. Add the optional safety pack, and you'll get a host of driver assistance features too.
Kia Rio
★★★ (★★★★★ with safety pack)
Fork out for additional safety features and you can wipe the Kia Rio completely from the list. Alas, should you buy your Rio frugally, crash safety won't be what it should be.
The latest mid-size hatchback from the Korean manufacturer is a substantial step forward from the old one. Electronic stability control comes as standard on every model, but for additional safety features, you'll be looking at the mid-range 2, or top of the range 3 trim levels.
Read our Kia Rio review.
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