Five stars back to back: ŠKODA prioritises safety
Ensuring the maximum possible safety of its vehicles is a top priority for ŠKODA AUTO and is also a long-standing tradition: A ŠKODA 100 L was the first documented vehicle to undergo crash testing 50 years ago in Prague-Ruzyně in what was then Czechoslovakia. Today, ŠKODA operates a state-of-the-art crash test facility at its Úhelnice-based Polygon Test Centre, which was comprehensively expanded in 2020 and even won the Crash Laboratory of the Year 2020 from the Automotive Testing Technology International trade journal. The results from the Euro NCAP reference test and the Global NCAP test for crash safety attest to the Czech car manufacturer’s impressive track record; all 15 new ŠKODA models introduced since 2008 have achieved the highest five-star rating. In 2021, the current FABIA and ENYAQ iV were named the safest vehicles in their respective classes.
"At ŠKODA, we use all our expertise in technical development to consistently improve the active and passive safety of our vehicles. Even our entry-level models offer numerous assistance systems that are usually only available in vehicles from higher vehicle classes. At the same time, our state-of-the-art crash laboratory Polygon Úhelnice provides the ideal setting to thoroughly test the safety of our models. This allows us to incorporate our findings into vehicle development at a very early stage. Achieving the highest score of five stars in the NCAP reference test and the Global NCAP test for crash safety for all 15 ŠKODA model series tested since 2008 is an outstanding success.”
Johannes Neft, ŠKODA AUTO Board Member for Technical Development
Steadfast commitment to optimal active and passive safety
ŠKODA has once again expanded its state-of-the-art crash lab at the Polygon Úhelnice Test Centre near Mladá Boleslav to ensure the best possible test conditions. However, crash tests have been conducted in what is now the Czech Republic for 50 years; following the first documented test in May 1972 on a ŠKODA 100 L, crash tests were subsequently designed by specialised staff.