Update: an earlier version of this article incorrectly mentioned the Adam earnings five stars. This is not the case, as the Adam was given an overall rating of four stars.
The European New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) recently put an Opel (Vauxhall) Adam through its battery of crash tests to determine the safety worthiness of the diminutive city car. The Adam earned four stars overall and adequate scores in each subsection of the evaluation:
| Adult occupant: | 87% |
| Child occupant: | 72% |
| Pedestrian: | 65% |
| Safety assist: | 81% |
| Overall score: | 4 stars (of 5) |
Watch the Adam, in the Jam trim level, get crashed in this video:
Here are Euro NCAP’s comments for each subsection of the test:
Adult Occupant
The passenger compartment of the Adam remained stable in the frontal impact. Dummy readings indicated good protection of the knees and femurs of the driver and passenger. Opel showed that a similar level of protection would be provided for occupants of different sizes and to those sat in different positions. The car scored maximum points for its protection of the passenger dummy, with all body areas being well protected. In the side barrier test, the Adam demonstrated good protection of all body regions except the chest, which was adequately protected. In the more severe side pole test, dummy readings of rib deflection indicated weak protection of the chest, although other parts of the body were well protected. The seat and head restraint provided marginal protection against whiplash injury in the event of a rear-end collision.
Child Occupant
In the frontal impact, forward movement of the child dummies, both sat in forward-facing restraints, was not excessive but protection of their chests was rated as fair owing to the chest decelerations measured. In the side impact, both dummies were properly contained by their restraints, minimizing the likelihood of dangerous head contact with parts of the car interior. The passenger airbag can be disabled to allow a rearward-facing child restraint to be used in that seating position. Clear information is provided to the driver about the status of the airbag and the system was rewarded. The rear outboard seats could not accommodate the group II/III child restraint but, otherwise, all restraints for which the car was designed could be accommodated without a problem. Cars before VIN W0L0MAP08E6000067 contain slightly different information in the user manual regarding installation of the group II/III restraint in the front passenger seat.
Pedestrian
The bumper scored maximum points for the protection it provided to pedestrians’ legs. The front edge of the bonnet was good in most areas tested but provided poor protection at the outer edges. The bonnet surface, where a child’s head might strike, showed mixed performance with areas of good, adequate and marginal protection. The windscreen offered good head protection to taller pedestrians but was poor around the windscreen pillars and at the base of the screen.
Safety Assist
Electronic stability control is standard on the Adam and passed Euro NCAP’s test requirements. A seatbelt reminder system covers the front and rear seats and a driver-set speed limitation device met Euro NCAP’s requirements for such systems.
Comments
Unfortunately, Adam earned 4 stars, not five…anyway, this isn’t bad in this class!
Not good as today crash ratings count for a lot with the appliance buyers and anything less than 5 stars can really hurt a vehicle. I am sure GM is disappointed and may go back to address what they need. Look for this to change in a year as GM will not let it rest.
As told to me by a marketing guy at GM anything less than 5 stars is the kiss of death.
If the imports promote their small cars as safe, why does most deaths in Puerto Rico occur in small Japanese cars? The latest fatal accident was a Toyota Yaris that crashed into a concrete rail. It split in half, throwing one passenger out, who died later. The Yaris burst into flames and burned the other three occupants. No one survived.
Where is the supposed five-star rating? Only in their test cars? Are they selling death traps?
Just because a car has a 5 star does not mean someone will find a way to kill them selves.
Just how fast were they going, how and what did they hit and was the one tossed out even wearing a belt?
Sorry but you can not be so general in topics like this as the details are what kill people.
The long and short of this is 5 stars sells cars and people who do not understand cars will look at these as gospel when buying a car. Many will void any car with anything less and not even look at it.
I saw a guy get rear ended this wheel by a truck in a Cherokee. He was slowing for an accident ahead. The truck smashed the back of the car. The front seat was intact but for the roof that buckled down and hit him in the head. I had never see that happen before and was just happened in this case. He was breathing for about 4 mins after the car stopped. It is a very sobering sited to see on your way to work and find you will go home and he never will.