Global NCAP has crash tested the new Citroen eC3 electric hatchback and results are very shocking for the French brand. The Made-in-India electric hatchback has received a dismal 0-star rating in adult protection and a 1-star rating for child occupant protection. The hatchback was tested under Global NCAP’s Safer Cars for India campaign.
The Citroen eC3 tested was equipped with dual-front airbags, belt load limiter and seat belt reminder for the front occupants only. It misses out on several key safety features such as ESC, seat-belt pretensioners, side airbags, ISOFIX anchorages, and seat belt reminders for the rear seats.
Citroen eC3 Adult Protection Test
In the adult occupant protection, the eC3 scored a total of 20.86 points out of 34. In the front impact, the hatchback offers good protection to driver’s and co-occupant’s head and neck. However, the protection to the chest was found weak and poor for the driver and passenger, respectively. The report stated that the protection to the driver’s knee was found marginal and it could turn out to be more damaging due to structures behind the dashboard.
The head showed marginal protection in the side impact test, while the chest showed adequate protection. The protection to the abdomen and pelvis was rated good. The difference between the front and side impact is the reason behind loss of 1 star in the overall result. The footwell area and body shell was rated stable, and it was capable of withstanding further loads.
Citroen eC3 Child Occupant Protection Test
In the child occupant protection test, the eC3 scored just 10.55 points out of a maximum of 49 points. The child seat for the 3-year old dummy was fixed facing forward using the adult seat belt. It fails to prevent excessive forward movement in the frontal crash, which results in head contact with the vehicle interior.
The child seat for 18-month old was installed rearward facing using the seat belt and it offers full protection during the frontal impact. However, the head was exposed in the side impact which resulted in poor scores.
The eC3 misses out on 3 point belts in all seating positions and does not offer at least 2 ISOFIX positions as standard. The car does not offer the possibility to disconnect the passenger airbag in case a rearward facing CRS will be installed in this position. The CRS installation failed in the rear centre position due to the lap belt and was not able to score in the rear right position due to manual exemption.
Commenting on the results, David Ward, Executive President of the Towards Zero Foundation said, “This result from Stellantis is of serious concern, not only for consumers in the Indian market but also for those in emerging economies around the world. We will be discussing this and other outcomes from the #SaferCarsForIndia campaign during our NCAP24 World Congress event in Munich next month.”