Top Marks For The Bestselling Volkswagen Golf

How safe is a repaired vehicle? The Allianz Centre for Technology (AZT) answered this question in a scientific study of repair costs following a crash.

"Repaired correctly, it is just as safe as when it was new". This summarises the results of the study. A new Golf was subjected to a frontal impact with an impact speed of 15 km/h and an overlap of 40% against a fixed barrier in the Allianz Insurance technology centre. After the simulated accident, the vehicle was repaired by the AZT in accordance with Volkswagen guidelines and using genuine replacement parts.

A new frontal impact was then carried out with the Golf. The results of both impacts were the same, which proved that a correctly repaired Golf offers the same level of safety as a new vehicle.

This so-called "crash repair test" offers the opportunity to examine a vehicle for its ability to be repaired and is therefore an important factor in insurance classifications for new vehicles. Something that takes high priority at Volkswagen.

However, the tests carried out as part of this study did not stop there. Having now passed both the "low speed frontal impact" tests with flying colours, the Golf was then subjected to a "high speed frontal impact" to verify occupant safety. The Golf was driven into a deformable barrier (tested in accordance with ECE-R94) with an impact speed of 56 km/h and an overlap of 40%. The results of this showed that all safety equipment such as airbags and belt tensioners worked in the same way as they would in a new vehicle and that all occupant protection criteria and occupant loading were identical to those in a new vehicle.

The Golf had already performed well in June, when it achieved excellent Euro NCAP impact test results. It was awarded a total of 5 stars for frontal and side impact, 4 stars for child safety and 3 stars for pedestrian safety.