The New BMW iX3 Earns 5 Stars in Euro NCAP, But Weaknesses Also Revealed

*This content was translated by AI.

BMW Korea's compact electric SUV, the "The New BMW iX3," has achieved the highest rating of five stars under Euro NCAP's 2026 new evaluation system, which strengthens real-world road environment verification.

According to official evaluation results, The New BMW iX3 recorded excellent scores across key categories: Post-Crash Safety at 95%, Crash Protection at 86%, Collision Avoidance at 83%, and Safe Driving at 73%.

Detailed indicators by category demonstrated advanced safety technology capabilities. In the Safe Driving category, the "Speed Limit Information Display Function" correctly guided speed limits across 97% of total driving distance (86% based on number of points) during real-world driving tests in four European countries. Active safety systems such as Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) and Lane Departure Prevention showed excellent avoidance performance, while the Exit Warning Function designed to prevent bicycle collisions also received high scores. In terms of Crash Protection, perfect scores were achieved for rear-seat child protection and side-impact testing, with particular attention drawn to the driver-to-driver collision prevention capability provided by the center airbag. The Post-Crash Safety category was also highly rated for its door-opening structure enabled by a mechanical dual safety device during power cutoff.

However, this evaluation also revealed weaknesses requiring future improvements and enhancements. First, in the Safe Driving category, while the system detects passenger body size, it lacks functionality to monitor improper postures (Out of Position), such as front-seat occupants placing their feet on the dashboard, or when drivers improperly wear seat belts. Additionally, high reliance on display and voice recognition during infotainment control was noted as a drawback.

In the Crash Protection category, during Full-width frontal crash testing, protection performance for the chest area of small-stature female drivers was rated as "Marginal". Furthermore, in the Vulnerable Road Users (VRU) protection items covering pedestrians and cyclists, the ability to absorb impacts on victims' heads or pelvises during vehicle collisions was somewhat uneven (Varied), preventing it from receiving a high score. In the Post-Crash Safety category, the fact that third-party service (TPS) eCall functionality is not uniformly provided across all Euro NCAP member countries was classified as an area for improvement.

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*This content was translated by AI.