BMW iX3 and ZEEKR 7GT take Euro NCAP's first five stars under new rules

BMW iX3 and ZEEKR 7GT take Euro NCAP's first five stars under new rules

8 July 2026: The Neue Klasse BMW iX3 and the ZEEKR 7GT are the first cars rated under Euro NCAP's 2026 protocols, and both reached five stars. Euro NCAP calls the rewrite the most significant overhaul of its testing and scoring in over a decade, and the results show the two cars losing marks in very different places.

Four stages in place of a single crash score

The new rating is built on what Euro NCAP calls the Stages of Safety: Safe Driving, Crash Avoidance, Crash Protection and Post Crash Safety. Safe Driving asks how well the car supports the driver and passengers. Crash Avoidance covers identifying hazards and preventing or reducing a crash. Crash Protection looks at structure, airbags and restraints, and Post Crash Safety at whether the car helps emergency responders treat the occupants afterwards.

Euro NCAP's results table gives the two cars these scores:

• BMW iX3 50 xDrive: Safe Driving 73%, Crash Avoidance 83%, Crash Protection 86%, Post Crash Safety 95%.
• ZEEKR 7GT Privilege AWD: Safe Driving 79%, Crash Avoidance 89%, Crash Protection 93%, Post Crash Safety 95%.

The BMW: physical controls, a long road trial and one marginal dummy

Euro NCAP tested the iX3 50 xDrive, a large electric SUV with a kerb weight of 2,285 kg, and says it may be BMW's safest car to date. In Safe Driving it praised dedicated physical controls for the indicators, hazard lights, horn, headlights and gear selector. Its driver monitoring was effective at detecting fatigue and impairment but less sensitive to short-term visual distraction.

Over a 2,000 km road trial across Italy, France, Germany and Austria, the iX3's speed limit assist identified sign changes correctly in 86% of instances, covering 97% of the distance driven. The car's cabin monitoring can classify occupants, but it does not detect an out-of-position front passenger or an incorrectly worn seatbelt.

The one gap in Crash Protection came in the full-width test, where a marginal driver chest score of 85% kept the car off full marks. Side-impact tests earned maximum points, helped by a standard centre airbag.

The ZEEKR: strong monitoring, weak controls

The 7GT Privilege AWD is a large electric family car with a kerb weight of 2,405 kg. Euro NCAP gave it maximum marks for driver monitoring of acute visual distraction, fatigue and drowsiness, and noted sensors that flag lap-only seatbelt use plus a manual passenger airbag cut-off switch for rear-facing child seats.

Driving settings and climate control sit on a central touchscreen instead of physical switches, and Euro NCAP says that produced a poor score for general vehicle controls. On a 2,000 km trial through Spain and France, its speed assist read limit signs correctly in 79% of cases, covering 89% of the total distance.

Why both end on 95% after a crash

In Post Crash Safety the BMW's high-voltage battery isolation was described as flawless, and all of its electrically actuated door handles extended and stayed usable after impact, with a manual override. The ZEEKR isolated high voltage and unlocked doors automatically, and its manual handles opened in every test. It lost points only because its TPS eCall function did not reach a maximum score.

Dr Aled Williams, Programme Director at Euro NCAP, said the five-star scores show that car makers can build models that are safe on many levels, "from the simple but important inclusion of physical switches and buttons" to driver aids that feel in tune with the driver.

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Sources

• Euro NCAP: A new benchmark for vehicle safety, BMW and ZEEKR secure five stars under Euro NCAP's new tests, 8 July 2026