Euro NCAP
 

They just published the results of the VW Touareg and although it earned 5 stars, it (still?) doesn't match the XC60 or XC90!
https://www.euroncap.com/en/results/vw/touareg/33478
https://www.euroncap.com/en/results/volvo/xc60/28534
https://www.euroncap.com/en/results/volvo/xc90/20976
Neither does the Ausi A6, with exception of pedestrian protection, probably due to its lower profile:
https://www.euroncap.com//en/results/audi/a6/33445

volvo have never been that bothered with NCAP right from the start of it , they just do their own thing as they always have been doing , Good for NCAP which forces everyone else near to but never exceeds Volvo ...

This, and it was a fact highlighted when the US equivelent introduced the small overlap frontal impact test that most existing cars performed awfully on, Volvos did well in that test due to it being something their crash response team were already well aware of and designing their cars to handle.

Crash tests, whilst they cover a lot, don't cover everything but Volvos real world data covers a lot.

way back in 1974 when no one cared about car safety the new 240 could drive into a brick wall at 50 mph , you would then open the door and step out if a little dazed ! 50 mph is a big speed for a crash test...

Touareg did okay by vw standards.. at least the driver’s door didn’t fall of like on a CC.. :rolleyes:

Still impressive, but the life of a crash test dummy is hard!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0W41KgdZFY

That's probably an exaggeration, because even with today's crumple zones, airbags, seat belt tensioners and so on, hitting a solid object at 50mph is hardly survivable. Its a matter of internal organs being displaced and damaged due to the suddenness of the deceleration. It would be a very serious crash indeed, even in a Volvo, unless the brick wall gave way. 50 to zero in a matter of a couple of feet is quite some deceleration. Just look at the damage caused in the slower NCAP tests.

Here is a video ( not very good quality) where Jeremy Clarkson drove into a pile of blocks and sandbags at an estimated 40mph in an ex part-exchange 760GLE which he bought, legitimately and anonymously, from a Volvo dealer, for only £1!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CJ6YMTe67WY

The car was obviously damaged after but could still drive - Clarkson was OK immediately after the impact but turned out he chipped a bone in his thumb from kick-back of the steering wheel during the impact.