NOVEMBER 26, 2002

A little success for Renault

The Renault Formula 1 team may have been something of a disappointment in the last 12 months but the company is doing very well in the European New Car Assessment Programme, which crash-tests all new road cars.

The Renault Formula 1 team may have been something of a disappointment in the last 12 months but the company is doing very well in the European New Car Assessment Programme, which crash-tests all new road cars. To date only two cars have won the five star award for crash-testing but EuroNCAP, which has close links with the FIA, has just announced that four more models have gained five-star status which means that three of the safest six cars in Europe are Renaults. The announcement in Rome revealed that Renault's Megane and the Vel Satis models, the Saab 9-3 and the Mercedes E-class have joined the Renault Laguna and the Mercedes C-Class as the only cars to have obtained five stars since the EuroNCAP programme began in February 1997. The new Megane also breaks new ground in that it is the first small family car to achieve the maximum score.