Revealed: the 10 safest cars of 2017

The safest new cars of 2017 have been revealed, ahead of judging to discover which is the overall winner of the hotly contested What Car? Safety Award 2018 title.

Thatcham Research’s 10-car-car longlist for the award will now go forward to a panel of expert judges who will decide on the year’s safest car.

This year, vehicles must have standard-fit Lane Keep Assist systems, to help avoid some of the most dangerous collision types seen on UK roads.

All the Top 10 cars also have standard-fit Autonomous Emergency Braking systems, which operate at city and motorway speeds and can detect pedestrians. In addition, judges will give extra merit to vehicles with AEB systems that can identify cyclists and other vulnerable road users.

Top 10 safest cars (alphabetical shortlist)

• Honda Civic
• Mercedes X-Class
• Subaru Impreza
• Subaru XV
• Toyota C-HR
• Vauxhall Insignia
• Volvo S90 / V90
• Volvo XC60
• VW Arteon
• VW T-Roc

“The top ten safest cars of the year all have standard-fit Lane Keep Assist systems,” said Matthew Avery, What Car? Safety Award panellist and director of research at Thatcham Research.

“These systems actively steer away from road edges and lane markings to prevent dangerous ‘run-off road’ and head-on accidents.

“With six per cent of A-Road crashes involving head-on collisions, this should be the next life-saving technology fitted by carmakers who want to signal their intent to prioritise driver safety.

“Drivers buying a new car should expect AEB on their vehicle. It’s now an essential standard-fit safety system, just like the seatbelt.”

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