The new all-electric Porsche Macan has received the top rating of five stars in the Euro NCAP test. The four-door sports car impressed with top scores in all test disciplines. To ensure the high safety level of its vehicles, Porsche is constantly developing and testing new assistance systems. Their performance far exceeds what is required by law.
With five stars, the electric Macan has achieved the best possible overall rating in the Euro NCAP (New Car Assessment Programme). This is a standardised test procedure for the evaluation and comparability of the safety of motor vehicles. Every two to three years, the test criteria are revised and the requirements are continuously increasing.
In the Euro NCAP test, the Macan has proven to be one of the safest models in 2024. Around 150 developers, engineers and testers were involved in the development and integration of the safety assistants in the new Macan. The development process took around three years.
“In the development of these systems, Porsche always goes far beyond the minimum legal requirements to optimise safety.” says Björn Kern, an expert of active safety systems at Porsche. For example, in the Macan, the emergency brake assist processes data from the front camera, the centre radar and the front corner radars. For the legal minimum requirement, the front camera would suffice. The combination of radars and cameras enlarges the field of view and significantly expands the area of action. With this system, the Macan also defuses complex situations, such as in the dark, with pedestrians emerging from a blind spot or turning at intersections.
“The biggest challenge is to build trust in the systems. You only notice them when it’s almost too late and a critical situation is imminent,” says Björn Kern. The escalation strategy of the assistance system is for the vehicle to initially issue a warning while the driver can still react. If the driver does not intervene, the assistant brakes automatically to reduce the consequences of a collision or to avoid a collision altogether. Euro NCAP highlights: “The performance of the Autonomous Emergency Braking System (AEB) was adequate in response tests with other vehicles. Collisions were avoided in several tests.” The test positively emphasizes the system’s protective effect on pedestrians and cyclists.
The lane departure warning and the lane change assistant represent a similarly important safety gain. Together, the two systems increase safety, especially on motorways. Another innovation: the exit warning system provides visual reminders at all exits for road users approaching from behind. If there is a risk of a collision, for example with a cyclist, the assistant delays the opening of the door and thus minimises the danger. Tiredness and distraction also often lead to accidents. The break recommendation suggests a break if the driver shows signs of increasing fatigue. The recommendation is based on an analysis of driving and lane behaviour. In the future, camera systems in the vehicle interior will enable the detection of microsleep or visual distraction. This increases safety even further. Despite innovative assistance systems, the responsibility remains with the driver.
During the Euro NCAP tests, the vehicles spend around six to eight weeks on the test track, in the laboratory and on the road. Four out of six test vehicles are destroyed in crash tests. The safety assistants are tested in high-precision, robot-assisted driving tests. Here, the Macan achieved an impressive value of 78 percent. Euro NCAP rates the protection of vulnerable road users at 83 percent, and the protection of occupants and children at 90 percent each.
