Volkswagen Golf

The passenger compartment of the Golf remained stable in the frontal offset test. Dummy numbers demonstrated good protection of the knees and femurs of both the driver and passenger.  VW showed that a similar level of protection would be provided to occupants of different sizes and to those sitting in different positions.  Protection of the driver’s chest was rated as marginal, based on dummy readings of compression.  Analysis of the deceleration of the impact trolley during the test, and analysis of the deformable barrier after the test, revealed that the Golf would be an aggressive impact partner in a frontal collision. In the full-width rigid barrier test, protection of all critical body areas was good or adequate for both the driver and the rear passenger. In the side barrier test, protection of all critical body areas was good and the car scored maximum points in this part of the assessment.  In the more severe side pole impact, chest protection was marginal but that of other critical body regions was good. Control of excursion (the extent to which a body is thrown to the other side of the vehicle when it is hit from the far side) was found to be adequate. The Golf has a counter-measure to mitigate against occupant to occupant injuries in such impacts. The system performed well in Euro NCAP’s test, with good protection of occupants’ heads.  Tests on the front seats and head restraints demonstrated good protection against whiplash injuries in the event of a rear-end collision.  A geometric analysis of the rear seats also indicated good whiplash protection.   The Golf has an advanced eCall system which alerts the emergency services in the event of a crash.   The car also has a system which applies the brakes after an impact to avoid secondary collisions.