Volkswagen Passat and Sharan Secure Five-Star Euro NCAP Ratings in 2011
Volkswagen’s 2011 Passat and Sharan both achieved the maximum five-star rating in Euro NCAP’s safety tests, with the Sharan recording one of the year’s highest scores.
Volkswagen’s 2011 Passat and Sharan models both received five-star ratings in the latest round of Euro NCAP crash tests, with the Sharan achieving one of the highest overall scores recorded in 2011. The results reflect Euro NCAP’s most demanding testing protocols to date, focusing on adult and child occupant protection, pedestrian safety and driver assistance technologies.
Sharan’s safety features and test performance
The 2011 Volkswagen Sharan stood out with a 96 percent score for adult occupant protection, placing it among the top performers of the year. Volkswagen credits this result to a comprehensive restraint system, which includes nine airbags. These cover all three seating rows with a curtain airbag, side airbags for the first two rows, and additional airbags for the driver and front passenger, including a knee airbag for the driver. The Sharan’s passive safety package was designed to address the needs of family buyers and large-vehicle users, reflecting the importance of occupant protection across multiple seating positions.
Passat advances active safety in its class
The seventh-generation Passat, also tested in 2011, maintained its five-star Euro NCAP rating. The model achieved strong results in adult and child occupant categories, as well as pedestrian protection. Volkswagen introduced two new driver assistance systems to the segment: an automatic fatigue detection system, which monitors steering and pedal inputs and warns the driver if a break is needed, and a city emergency braking function. The latter is an evolution of the Automatic Distance Control system, automatically applying the brakes at speeds below 18 mph if a collision is imminent, or accelerating if a rear-end collision is detected and the road ahead is clear.
Standard safety equipment and body structure
Both the Passat and Sharan share a set of standard safety features, including ABS with Hydraulic Brake Assist, ESP, and a body structure optimised for rigidity and crash energy management. These systems work with the airbag packages and assistance technologies to deliver high levels of occupant protection across the range.
The strong Euro NCAP results for both models reinforce Volkswagen’s focus on occupant safety and advanced driver assistance, with the Sharan’s performance especially notable among large MPVs tested that year. For a broader context on the year’s top performers, see Ten Cars Achieve Five Stars in 2011 Euro NCAP Safety Tests.
