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The new BMW 3 Series Sedan not only sets new standards of driving pleasure in the premium segment - the level of safety it provides is also first rate. In the latest Euro NCAP series of crash tests, the new BMW 3 Series achieved the top rating and was awarded 5 stars.
“The 5-star rating won by the new BMW 3 Series highlights yet again the advanced level of safety technology designed into all new models of the marque,” said the Managing Director of BMW Group New Zealand, Mark Gilbert.
“The new BMW 3 Series Sedan has now also passed the Euro NCAP crash tests with flying colours and been awarded 5 stars.
“In addition to a range of powerful petrol and diesel engines, eight-speed automatic sports transmission, Driving Experience Control, 50:50 weight distribution, plus technology such as full colour head-up display, this recognition is further evidence that the new BMW 3 Series really is the Ultimate Driving Machine,” said Mr Gilbert.
The test procedures carried out by the Euro NCAP (new car assessment programme) are a measure of the protection offered by vehicles in the case of an accident, recognized by governments, motoring organisations and consumer protection groups. In addition to the protection afforded to the passengers in a number of different impact scenarios, active safety technology and pedestrian protection are also taken into account.
The passenger safety cell of the new BMW of 3 Series Sedan proved to be extremely resistant in both head-on and side impacts as well as in the side pole crash test. In all of the accident scenarios, the forces acting on the vehicle were safely channelled over clearly defined load paths and absorbed by generously dimensioned deformation zones.
In addition, the extensive standard safety equipment including front and side airbags, side head airbags for both the front and the rear passengers, three-point automatic seat belts fitted to all seats, belt force limiters and belt tensioners in the front and ISOFIX child seat mountings in the rear provides both the driver and his passengers with extensive protection from injury, no matter what size they may be, or their seating position.
In the event of a rear end collision, the active head restraints fitted to the front seats minimize the risk of whiplash injuries to the occupants of the vehicle.
The examiners also awarded high marks with regard to child safety. They certified that the new BMW 3 Series Sedan provides excellent protection in the event of both a head-on collision and a side impact. When test dummies fitted with sensors were strapped into seating systems designed for three year old and one and a half year old children, reassuringly at the moment of impact these "children" were all registered as maintaining stable positions with minimal head movements.
In order to optimise pedestrian protection, the new BMW 3 Series is designed with flexible structures and precisely modelled body areas at the front of the vehicle, which reduce the risk of injury to those on foot in the event of a collision. In the Euro NCAP crash test, the vehicle scored the maximum number of points for the design of the bumper and the front area of the bonnet. This very positive assessment also took into account the design of the structural elements at the front of the vehicle - those that are relevant to head injuries to children in the case of a collision.
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