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The car tested is substantially the same in safety structure and equipment that was tested in 1996. The two tests scored about the same as each other. The frontal impact performance was weak but was better in side impact. The 1½-year-old’s restraint worked reasonably well but the 3-year-old’s had limitations. Pedestrian protection was dire. Overall only just a three star car.

Front impact
The steering wheel moved excessively rearwards during the impact and the driver’s head was not held in the airbag. The front seat belts are fitted with pretensioners and seatbelt webbing locks that are designed to limit forward movement in the event of a crash. There was no evidence of a chest strike on the steering wheel. The driver’s survival space was compromised by the extent of weld failures in the supporting windscreen pillar, which supports the instrument panel. There was some padding that will help to spread the loads, although this was not sufficient to remove all worries of damaging knees and upper legs. The brake pedal was driven back endangering the feet and lower legs. Only a simple two point static belt was fitted in the centre rear seat, which can cause severe spinal and abdominal injuries.

Side impact
The chest took the main load from the side impact giving an increased risk of serious injury. The abdomen and head were well protected but the pelvis was more highly loaded.

Child-protection
Although this car was not tested with a passenger’s airbag Ford say they are going to introduce well designed labels warning against the use of rear facing child restraints in the front passenger seat when an airbag is fitted. The 1½-year-old’s seat was rear facing, and used the adult seat belts. This controlled the 1½-year-old’s head but there would be dangers of neck injury. The 3-year-old’s restraints failed to control the child’s head both in frontal and side impact. The colour coding of the seat belt routes were by means of coloured dots that could be easily removed so increasing the risk of incorrectly installing the seat.

Pedestrian protection
With only one star this is a dismal pedestrian score, but Ford tell us that they are doing something about this by replacing the bonnet with a more flexible one which will be friendlier towards head impacts.