Five Star Performance: Skoda Citigo Gets Top Rating From Euro NCAP

MILTON KEYNES, UNITED KINGDOM – Nov 25, 2011: With five Euro NCAP stars, Skoda’s eagerly anticipated new Citigo small car has received the highest possible rating in its class.

The Škoda Citigo has received the highest number of points in its class, in tests by independent crash-test experts at Euro NCAP.

Euro NCAP assessors commended the Citigo’s overall safety package, including its passenger, infant and pedestrian protection. The car’s additional safety assistance systems also attracted praise.

“This excellent five-star rating confirms the Citigo’s high level of safety,” said Dr. Ing. Eckhard Scholz, Škoda’s board member in charge of technical development. “The development team has done outstanding work and it has proved that affordable, yet uncompromising safety is achievable even in the city car segment. The award by Euro NCAP is deserved praise for this great dedication.”

The Citigo earned plaudits for the levels of passenger protection it offers. Euro NCAP’s assessment involves front and side collisions plus a pole test. The car also rated highly in the whiplash test, which measures strain on the upper cervical spine caused by a rear-end impact.

Infant safety was another area where the Škoda achieved excellent results. The car received full marks in tests simulating the protection of a three-year-old child.

Euro NCAP testers reported that they found the level of the Citigo’s assistance systems convincing. In particular, they praised the inclusion of head-thorax airbags as standard equipment across the Citigo range, and belt-fastening reminders on all seats.

The Škoda Citigo is the first car in the city car segment, together with the Volkswagen up! and SEAT Mii, to offer a low-speed, active emergency braking assistant called City Safe Drive. The technology helps during urban driving and operates automatically at speeds lower than 30km/h (18mph). Depending on speed and level of traffic, the system can mitigate the affects of a crash or prevent it altogether.