Jeep Compass scores 5 stars in Euro NCAP crash test: Here’s why it matters to India

The Jeep Compass has just been crashed tested by Euro NCAP, and the safety testing agency has awarded it an impressive rating of 5 stars. But the Compass that was tested by Euro NCAP was left-hand driven and it wasn’t even built in India. Yet, the high-score matters to India. What gives? We explain.

According to a report on NDTV’s Car&Bike,

1. The Euro-spec and India-spec Jeep Compass versions feature similar body structures. The NCAP test has seen the European version show a stable body structure during the crash.
2. The Euro-spec and India-spec Jeep Compass versions feature similar crumple zones.
3. Both versions feature ISOFIX child seat points at the rear.
4. However, the Euro-spec Compass features 8 airbags compared to the 6 on the top-end Indian version. It also gets autonomous braking, which is missing on the Indian variant.

A strong body structure and well-designed crumple zones are critical in times of an accident. While crumple zones help to dissipate the impact of the crash, keeping the force of the crash away from the occupants of the vehicle, a strong body structure will ensure that there is no intrusion of the cabin.

This will allow the other safety features such as airbags and seats do their work of protecting the occupants of the car. Multiple crash tests on various popular Indian cars by Global NCAP has shown that cars with weak body structures will not protect occupants even if they have airbags in them. So, a strong body structure is absolutely critical.

To sum it up, both crumple zones and the body structure have to work together to protect occupants of the car during a crash. Now, since the India-spec Compass is said to have similar body structure (strength) and crumple zones to that of the Euro version, it’s likely to behave similar during a crash. In light of this, the 5 star rating seems encouraging. Also, the Euro-spec Compass has scored a 90 % score for Adult protection and 83 % for child protection, another big positive.