The passenger compartment of the Rifter remained stable in the frontal offset test.  Dummy readings showed good protection for the knees and femurs of both the driver and passenger.  Peugeot showed that a similar level of protection would be provided to occupants of different sizes and to those sitting in different positions.  In the full-width rigid barrier test, protection of the driver dummy was marginal for the chest and neck and good for other critical body areas.  Protection of the rear passenger was good or adequate.  In the side barrier test, protection of all critical body areas was good and the Rifter scored maximum points. Even in the more severe side pole impact, protection of the chest was adequate and that of other critical body areas was good. Tests on the front seats and head restraints demonstrated good protection against whiplash injury in the event of a rear-end collision.  A geometric assessment of the rear seats also indicated good whiplash protection.  The standard-fit autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system performed well in tests of its functionality at the low speeds, typical of city driving, at which many whiplash injuries are caused.

With the exception of the neck of the 6 year dummy, protection of which was adequate, dummy results in both the frontal offset and the side barrier impacts showed good protection for all critical body areas for the 6 and 10 year children.  The front passenger airbag can be deactivated to allow a rearward-facing child restraint to be used in that seating position.  Clear information is provided to the driver regarding the status of the airbag and the system was rewarded.  All of the restraint types for which the Rifter is designed could be properly installed and accommodated in the car.  However, ISOFIX/i-Size anchorages are optional in the second-row centre seating position in some countries and buyers should ensure they order these if they are needed.  The optional third row seats are not suitable for child restraints.

The protection provided to the head of a struck pedestrian was predominantly adequate or marginal, with poor results recorded along the base of the windscreen and on the stiff windscreen pillars.  The bumper provided good protection to pedestrians' legs and protection of the pelvis was also good at all test locations.  The AEB system performed well in some tests of its reaction to pedestrians but its performance overall was rated as marginal.  The system does not respond to faster-moving road-users like cyclists.

The AEB system gave marginal performance when tested at highway speeds.  The Rifter has a seatbelt reminder for the front and rear seats but not for the optional third-row seats.  A speed assistance system is also standard and informs the driver of the local speed limit, allowing the driver to set the limiter appropriately. A lane keeping assist system helps prevent inadvertent drifting out of lane, and also intervenes in some more critical emergency situations.