Citan and Transporter get four star Euro NCAP rating

Following improvements made by Mercedes-Benz, the Citan has been awarded a four-star Euro NCAP crash safety rating. The van was originally tested in April and awarded just three stars, below what's expected for a new van. But significant changes have been made and the Citan now has improved ratings with a 79% adult occupant rating and an impressive 81% child occupant rating for the Kombi version.

Mercedes-Benz has improved the deployment of the side airbag and installed child restraints plus the Citan now has a seatbelt reminder for the front passenger seat along with a speed limiter that complies with Euro NCAP's requirements.

According to Euro NCAP, the passenger compartment of the Citan remained stable in the frontal impact while dummy readings indicated good protection of the knees and femurs of the driver and passenger dummies. However, inspection of the vehicle showed that some structures in the dashboard presented a hazard to the knees and femurs of occupants of different sizes and to those sat in different positions.

The improvements made by Mercedes-Benz to the side airbag deployment proved successful and the Citan scored maximum points in the side barrier test with good protection of all body regions. In the side pole impact, the airbag deployed correctly but protection of the chest was rated as marginal. There was a gap between the B-pillar and the front edge of the sliding door. Although this gap was smaller than in the original Citan test, a penalty was again applied to the score. The front seats and head restraints provided marginal protection against whiplash injury in the event of a rear-end collision.

Alongside the Citan, the Volkswagen Transporter was also tested and awarded a four-star crash safety rating and a 79% adult occupant safety rating. The crash results showed that the passenger compartment remained stable in the frontal impact test and readings indicated good protection of the knees and femurs of the driver and passenger dummies. However, structures in the dashboard were thought to present a risk to occupants of different sizes or those sat in different positions.

The Transporter scored maximum points in the side barrier test with good protection of all body regions. In the more severe side pole impact, protection of the chest was marginal and that of the abdomen was adequate while that of the head and pelvis was good. Whiplash protection was assessed by analysing the geometry of front and rear seats and head restraints. The assessment revealed marginal protection against whiplash injuries in the event of a rear-end collision.