The new Honda Civic 5 door has been rated one of
Europe‘s safest cars, according to new independent crash testing results
from Euro NCAP. In addtion, Euro NCAP have announced that they are
extending Honda's Advanced NCAP reward for its Collision Mitigation
Braking System (CMBS) technology to include the new Civic.
- New Civic Euro NCAP Crash Test
The new Honda Civic has been awarded Euro NCAP's maximum 5-star
rating. The rating scheme focuses on the vehicle's overall safety
performance which gives consumers an easy to understand single score.
The system considers occupant protection, child protection, pedestrian
protection and the availability of driver aids. Since the introduction
of Euro NCAP‘s new rating scheme (February 2009) all Honda models
tested have achieved 5 stars.
Michiel van Ratingen, Euro NCAP Secretary General, commented "The 9th
generation Civic impressed and achieved high scores in all areas of
assessment, putting it on a par with its rivals in this competitive
market segment. The car scored well in Safety Assist and is also fitted
as an option with Honda's Collision Mitigation Brake System (CMBS)."
Euro NCAP also announced today that they are extending Honda's Advanced
NCAP reward for its CMBS technology to include the new Civic. The reward
recognises Honda‘s CMBS technology as amongst the best available safety
innovations, offering research proven benefits. Euro NCAP Advanced is
an initiative developed in response to the rapid development of new
safety technologies, for which there is no independent assessment.
Honda has been recognized for its Collision Mitigation Brake System
(CMBS), a radar-based autonomous emergency braking system. CMBS is
designed to help prevent collisions with vehicles which are stationary
or travelling in the same direction. The system is aimed at alerting the
driver to an imminent collision both at low speeds, typical of urban
driving, and at higher speeds typical of rural roads and motorways. By
studying accident statistics in Germany and extending the figures to the
broader European community, Honda estimates that, if all cars were
fitted with CMBS, between 200,000 and 250,000 accidents could be either
prevented or mitigated every year.
The new Civic's top safety rating and Advanced NCAP reward reflect
Honda's commitment to overall vehicle safety. Honda's car-to-car crash
test facility at the Tochigi R&D center analyzes impacts between
models of different sizes and weights and develops solutions to mitigate
injuries for both passengers and pedestrians. The omni-directional
vehicle-to-vehicle crash test facility opened in 2001 and is the world's
first indoor facility of its type.
Editors Notes
The new generation Civic is available as a 5 and 4 door model. The Euro NCAP rating applies to the 5 door model.
Safety Features in the Honda Civic
Vehicle Stability Assist
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) is designed to assist the driver in
maintaining control during cornering, acceleration and sudden manoeuvres
by applying braking assistance to any of the wheels as necessary and
modulating the engine torque output as required.
Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) Body Structure
Developed in the car-to-car crash testing facility at Tochigi, the
Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure is now a
well-established strength of Honda’s safety credentials.
The ACE™ body structure is a Honda exclusive body design that
enhances occupant protection and crash compatibility in frontal
collisions. The ACE Body Structure design utilises a network of
connected structural elements to distribute crash energy more evenly
throughout the front of the vehicle. This enhanced frontal crash energy
management helps to reduce the forces transferred to the passenger
compartment and can help to more evenly disperse the forces transferred
to other vehicles in a crash.
Pedestrian Protection
The new Civic also incorporates many features designed with
pedestrian-protection in mind. Research has shown that these features
can dramatically improve a pedestrian's chance of survival if struck by a
moving vehicle. Features include windscreen wiper pivots designed to
break away on impact, energy absorbing front wing mounts and bonnet
hinges, as well as an unobstructed area beneath the bonnet allowing
greater space for deformation.
Airbags and Seatbelts
On all models the driver and passenger Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS) front and side airbags are complemented by full length curtain
airbags to protect all occupants. There are three-point Emergency
Locking Retractor (ELR) seatbelts in all seating positions, the front
seatbelts also have 2 stage Energy Absorption (EA) load limiting
pretensioners. In the rear ISOFIX points ensure secure and correct
installation and mounting of child seats.
About Honda’s Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS)
What is CMBS?
Honda’s Collision Mitigation Brake System (CMBS) is a radar-based
autonomous emergency braking system. At speeds above 15km/h, moving and
stationary vehicles are detected along a path some 100m ahead of the
vehicle. When the system senses that the car is likely to hit one of
these obstacles, a three stage process is initiated. In the first,
typically around 3 seconds before impact, the driver is alerted by
visual and audible warnings. In the second stage, when the system senses
that a collision is still likely (typically some 2 seconds before
impact), three sharp tugs are given on the seat belt and the car
automatically starts to apply some braking. Finally, when a collision is
unavoidable, CMBS tightens the front seat occupants’ seatbelts (using
reversible tensioners different from the pyrotechnic devices used during
the collision itself) and applies a high level of braking force. This
braking can be supplemented by the driver up to the maximum that the car
is capable of.
All of the actions taken by CMBS are reversible: if an accident is
averted (for example if the vehicle moves out of the way at the last
moment, for example), the tension is removed from the seatbelts and the
visual and audible warnings stop.
What is the safety benefit?
CMBS is a system designed to help prevent collisions with vehicles
which are stationary or travelling in the same direction. Several
studies have shown that driver distraction or inattentiveness is a
factor in the great majority of accidents. The system is aimed at
alerting the driver to an imminent collision both at low speeds, typical
of urban driving, and at higher speeds typical of rural roads and
motorways. In such accidents, the most common sorts of injuries are to
the cervical spine, the soft tissue of the thorax and to the knees. By
studying accident statistics in Germany and extending the figures to the
broader European community, Honda estimates that, if all cars were
fitted with CMBS, between 200,000 and 250,000 accidents could be either
prevented or mitigated every year.
How was CMBS assessed?
Two main types of track tests were done by Honda to establish the
effectiveness of CMBS, both of them simulations of typical real world
situations. To establish proper functionality of the system, a test
driver drove towards targets, both moving and stationary, to determine
whether or not the system reacted as intended: audible and visual
warnings issued at the times needed, tightening of the seatbelt,
followed by emergency braking. To determine the driver response to these
warnings, volunteers were deliberately distracted while following a
dummy vehicle which suddenly braked. The volunteers were not aware that
this dummy vehicle could be safely pulled out of harm’s way before a
collision occurred. Volunteers could be used only once each in order to
ensure that they did not anticipate the critical situation. By combining
the results of the functionality and efficacy tests, Honda was able to
ensure and estimate the effectiveness of the system in real-life
situations.
Availability
For new Honda Civic, Honda CR-V and Honda Accord, the system is
available for high graded vehicles as option only. The availability of
optional equipment may vary from country to country. In some countries,
CMBS may be available only when combined with other options as part of a
package, and may not be offered on all variants. Customers should check
with their local Honda dealer to determine if CMBS is available.
About the new Civic
The new Civic five-door hatchback was developed specifically for the
European market. The car builds on the core strengths of its predecessor
taking them to an appreciably higher level. The Civic has ultra low CO
2 emissions – the diesel model produces just 110g/km with 150 HP and 350 Nm of torque.
The new Civic is available with three engine options: a 1.4 liter and
1.8 liter petrol and a 2.2 liter diesel. All engines are combined with a
6-speed manual gearbox, ECO Assist and Idle Stop. They are also
equipped with Hill Start Assist. The 1.8 liter engine is also available
with a specially designed 5-speed automatic transmission.
The very highest safety standards are a basic requirement for all Honda cars and the new Civic is no exception.
About Euro NCAP
Euro NCAP provides motoring consumers with a realistic and
independent assessment of the safety performance of some of the most
popular cars sold in Europe.
Established in 1997 and now backed by seven European Governments, the
European Commission and motoring and consumer organizations in every EU
country, Euro NCAP has rapidly become a catalyst for encouraging
significant safety improvements to new car design.
Euro NCAP’s star rating scheme focuses on the vehicle’s overall
safety performance which gives consumers an easy to understand single
score. The system considers occupant protection in frontal, side, pole
and rear impacts, child protection, pedestrian protection and the
availability of driver aids.
The current rating scheme, introduced in February 2009, uses a
weighted score, combining many aspects of a car’s safety performance:
adult (50%), child (20%) and pedestrian (20%) protection assessment
results with the availability of safety assistance devices (10%). To
qualify for inclusion, safety assistance devices
(VSA for Honda) must be
fitted as standard across 90% of the EU 27 2010 model range.
[Source: http://world.honda.com/news/2012/4120222Civic-5-star-Euro-NCAP/index.html]
