As the sales of new vans continue to increase across Europe and new brands enter the market, the demand for safer and sustainable vehicle options is growing. It has never been more important for businesses and tradespeople to make an informed decision when choosing their next van, especially when it comes to safety.
To help simplify the process, Euro NCAP will now use easy-to-follow star ratings, rather than the former medal system, when awarding new light commercial vehicles (LCVs). The new star ratings for LCVs will continue to show businesses and tradespeople which models feature the most effective active safety systems. Euro NCAP’s familiar safety five-star grading has already helped to dramatically improve the safety standards of passenger cars since its inception in 1997. Now the same, easy-to-follow star rating will be applied to vans.
Whether a driver is delivering flowers or parcels, servicing heating systems, or heading to a building site, having a van that is fitted with a good Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) is like having a full-time co-driver scanning the road and looking out for potential danger or changes to driving conditions. Should the driver fail to react to danger, these ADAS technologies can help prevent an accident or mitigate its severity.
And with more than 30 million vans on Europe’s roads, and sales of new models rising to nearly 1.59 million units last year (an increase of 8.3 per cent, on top of a 14.6 per cent rise in 2023, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association), the need for an independent rating of vans’ safety is greater than ever if businesses are to prioritise safer vehicles for their fleet.
While commercial vans do not necessarily have a higher crash rate than other motor vehicles, crashes involving vans tend to be more severe for their opponent vehicles. According to the European Commission, casualties comprise around 4 per cent of total fatal or seriously injured vehicle occupant casualties. A large percentage of these are due to loss of control in head-on and rear-end crashes.
For 2025, Euro NCAP has re-awarded each van with a star rating following its assessment in 2024. These included some of Europe’s best-selling models from Citroën, FIAT, Ford, Iveco, LEVC, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Opel/Vauxhall, Peugeot, Renault, and VW, as well as brands from China, including Farizon and Maxus.
The vans awarded the highest, five-star Euro NCAP rating for their safety performance were: Citroën Jumper (Relay); Farizon SV; FIAT Ducato; Ford Transit; Transit Connect; Transit Courier and the Transit Custom; Maxus eDELIVER 5; Mercedes-Benz Citan; Sprinter and the Vito; Nissan Interstar; Opel/Vauxhall Movano; Peugeot Boxer; Renault Kangoo Van and the Master; VW Caddy Cargo, ID.Buzz Cargo, and the Transporter.
Euro NCAP’s testing of vans’ ADAS technologies began in 2021. Recognising the changing landscape of our roads and rise in van numbers, the organisation launched commercial van ratings to help improve road safety as part of its Vision 2030 strategy – the commitment to push for vehicle safety developments and testing that reflects the diversity of the population and drivers on European roads.
The strategy is paying off. According to Euro NCAP’s recent research: in 2021, during ADAS testing of 18 vans, only four vans scored above 40 per cent. In 2024, out of 18 vans assessed, 17 were awarded above 60 per cent. This is in the context of stricter regulations, such as GSR2, that came into force last July for all vans, and in Euro NCAP’s stricter testing protocol that was introduced in 2023. Newcomers to the European market, for example, from China, are making sure that a high safety standard is part of the value proposition.
With the growing number of vans on Europe’s roads, and the disproportionately high mileage that they cover compared with passenger cars, it is important that Euro NCAP helps businesses choose the safest vans for their fleet and simultaneously encourages van makers to fit ADAS technologies as standard and ensure their effectiveness. More and more, authorities, shippers and freight handlers are using Euro NCAP’s five-star rating as a benchmark for their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategies.
By introducing Euro NCAP’s familiar and proven, easy-to-understand star ratings for light commercial vehicles, we are making it simpler for fleet operators and small business owners to make informed purchasing decisions and pick the safest vans for themselves or their colleagues, at a time when there is growing choice in the market.
— Dr. Aled Williams, Programme Director at Euro NCAP
SOURCE: Euro NCAP
