THE latest Ford Focus has become the first ever car to receive four Euro NCAP Advanced safety rewards - thanks to its Driver Alert and Forward Alert technologies.
It comes a month after the new Ford Ranger achieved an historic first by becoming the only pickup to receive a maximum 5 Star safety rating from the same organisation.
In fact the Ranger also achieved the highest score ever recorded by Euro NCAP – which stands for European New Car Assessment Programme - for pedestrian protection.
The Euro NCAP Advanced rewards were introduced last year to recognise car manufacturers that make new safety technologies available.
Ford is one of only two manufacturers to hold four of these rewards and the only manufacturer to achieve this with one product.
Michiel van Ratingen, Euro NCAP’s general secretary said: “Seeing a C-segment volume seller like Focus rewarded for various technologies clearly shows where Ford and the automobile industry is moving in Europe.
“Confidence is growing that driver assistance functions save lives and reduce injuries, the rewards emphasise the benefits for consumers.”
An estimated 1,300 people a year die on Europe’s roads as a result of driver fatigue and Ford’s Driver Alert system is designed to detect tired driver behaviour, using advanced camera technology and on-board sensors to evaluate vigilance levels.
The system monitors the vehicle’s position relative to lane markings using a forward facing, windscreen mounted camera.
It also communicates with the car’s on-board sensor to detect erratic movements, and is available on new Focus, C-MAX, Grand C-MAX, Mondeo, S-MAX and Galaxy models.
Ford’s Forward Alert accident warning system uses radar technology to scan the road ahead for slowing traffic, and if it detects a likely collision the system alerts the driver. If the driver fails to brake immediately the system triggers brake support.
Meanwhile, Volkswagen’s new generation Beetle and up! city car have both been awarded five-star ratings by NCAP.
And the up! also received the consumer protection group’s Advanced Award for its City Emergency Braking function, which positions the new VW ahead of its direct competitors as no vehicle in its class has earned five stars and the Advanced Award before.