May 27, 2009 - The New Honda Jazz has been rated one of Europe‘s safest cars, setting the benchmark for the supermini class, according to the new independent crash testing results from Euro NCAP.

Euro NCAP’s new rating scheme focuses on the vehicle’s overall safety performance which gives consumers an easy to understand single score. The new system considers occupant protection in frontal, side, pole and rear impacts, child protection, pedestrian protection and the availability of driver aids. The Honda Jazz has been awarded the maximum 5-star rating which follows on from the 5 star results achieved by both the Honda Civic and the Honda Accord.

The new 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 85% of the EU 27 2009 model range.

Euro NCAP's new assessment reflects Honda’s commitment to overall vehicle safety, complimenting Honda’s long standing in-house safety testing which seeks to improve real world safety. Honda’s car-to-car crash test facility at the Tochigi R&D plant analyses impacts between models of different sizes and weights and develops solutions to mitigate injuries for both for passengers and pedestrians.

Vehicle Stability Assist

VSA (Vehicle Stability Assist) is designed to assist the driver in maintaining control during cornering, acceleration and sudden manoeuvres by applying braking to the right or left hand wheels as necessary and modulating the engine torque output as required.

Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE)

The Jazz is built around a survival cell constructed of 42% high tensile steel that disperses crash energy – boosting protection to those inside by 20%.

Developed in the car-to-car crash testing facility at Tochigi, the Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™)  body structure is now a well-established weapon in Honda’s safety armoury. The new Jazz is the latest range to benefit from this highly effective technology which provides a protective cocoon for occupants in a variety of real-world crash conditions. These may include a frontal collision between vehicles of differing heights, weights and frame construction.

The  ACE™ body structure  of the Jazz, is composed of highly efficient energy-absorbing polygonal cross-section side frames, a bulkhead (upper frame) which absorbs the upper part of the collision energy, and a lower member that helps prevent misalignment of the frames of the vehicles involved. This prevents cabin deformation whilst reducing the chances of vertical or lateral misalignment between the Jazz and another vehicle's safety structures.The structure provides exceptional stiffness which also benefits side impact performance to maintain cabin integrity.

Pedestrian Protection

The new Jazz 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 dual front and side airbags are complemented by full length side curtain airbags to protect occupants in the front and rear. There are three-point seatbelts in all seating positions, the front seatbelts also have load limiting pretensioners. Two ISOFIX fittings in both the left and right rear seats together with tether anchor points in the rear roof ensure correct installation and provide secure child seat mounting points.<

Braking

Front and rear disc brakes ensure road stability, which is further enhanced by the Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Emergency Brake Assist (EBA).

Active headrests

The new Jazz is also equipped with front seat active headrests which reduce the likelihood of neck injury in rear impacts. As the occupant is pushed against the seat back, a rigid plate in the seat presses a link to the headrest pushing it up and forward to support the head.