The European Euro NCAP consortium has awarded the new Volvo XC90 and the all-new Audi Q7 with the maximum five stars for safety.

The luxury SUV’s went at it head-to-head. Both aced Euro NCAP’s latest crashworthiness requirements, but it was the XC90 that made the biggest impression by earning full marks in the crash avoidance and driver assistance tests.

Volvo XC90 scored particularly highly for adult protection, with Euro NCAP’s testers noting that the XC90’s standard autonomous emergency braking system was capable of bringing the car to a halt before a collision occured in all of its tests, hence earning maximum points.

The XC90 also scored 100% for its safety assistance systems, which all feature as standard. The Audi Q7, meanwhile, marginally beat the XC90’s score for child protection.

The top ratings for the VW Touran and Ford’s Galaxy and S-MAX MPV siblings are good news for families with kids, offering at least two rear seating positions compliant with the latest i-Size standard for child restraints as standard. The list of top achievers is completed with Renault Kadjar and the new Toyota Avensis, both delivering an excellent safety performance across the board.

Good occupant protection still is the back bone of a top rating in Euro NCAP, but the availability and performance of avoidance and driver support systems, that will ultimately pave the way for highly automated vehicles, is becoming increasingly important. The Mazda CX-3 and the pick-up Mitsubishi L200 offer good overall safety but are rated 4 stars as the L200 is not fitted with autonomous emergency braking system, while the Mazda CX-3 offers AEB as an option but with an expected low uptake.