| Front and side impact rating |
 |
|
|
 |
|
Pedestrian test rating |
 |
|
|
|
Test Scores: Front 7(44%) Side 13(72%) Overall 20(59%) Pedestrian 16(44%)
|
|
|
|
Citroën
has told Euro NCAP that every Xsara 1.4i will be fitted
with side airbags from the launch of these results.
Accordingly, the car chosen for testing had seat-mounted
side airbags. In the side-impact test, however, the
seat-mounted airbag did not deploy correctly, resulting in
a lower level of protection to the driver's chest than
expected from this safety feature. Otherwise, the Xsara
performed reasonably well in the frontal-impact test and
gave above-average results in the pedestrian safety tests. |
Impact
Protection
|
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
| Driver
Front Impact |
Passenger
Front Impact |
Driver
Side Impact |
|
Frontal
Impact
|
|
|
| The
cabin just remained stable but the driver's door lost much
of its structural strength. Meanwhile, the driver's airbag
fired late and towards the centre of the car. Head contact
on the airbag was unstable and head and neck protection
was marginal. Chest protection for the front passenger was
weak and his belt pre-tensioner did not appear to have
operated. Tightening of the driver's belt was also
limited. There were structures within the facia which
could generate loads on the driver's knees during an
impact, increasing injury risks for his upper legs and
pelvis, or damage to his knees. A deflector is fitted
within the steering column shroud but its effectiveness
would be limited. |
Side
Impact
|
|
|
| The
driver's head hit the seat belt swivel and also the centre
door pillar but suffered quite low loads. There was a
problem with airbag deployment, though. The piping on the
seat cover caught the airbag as it broke through the
fabric and much of its lower section remained within the
seat cover. And as the floor collapsed in the impact the
driver's seat was crushed and its base was displaced
downwards near his door. |
Child
Restraint
|
|
|
| Citroën
recommend the same forward-facing restraint as suitable
for three-year-olds and 18-month-olds, and its locating
points proved compatible with the car's rear belts.
However, in the frontal impact, the three-year-old was
allowed to move too far forward, while in the side impact
his head was not retained within the seat shell. |
Pedestrian
Protection
|
|
|
| Protection
for pedestrian legs was above average. The car also met
the proposed legislative requirements for half of the
child's head-impact sites tested. Unfortunately, the
majority of the adult test impact sites rated as poor.
Overall, the Xsara earned a high two-star rating for
pedestrian protection. |
Model
history and safety equipment
|
|
|
| Introduced
in September 1997. The 1998 model year 1.4i has a driver
airbag, side airbags, belt pre-tensioners and webbing
grabbers. Power assisted steering is also standard in all
EU markets. Note: other variants will not be fitted with
all of the above equipment, which would affect safety
ratings. |
| Body
type |
5-door
hatchback |
| Model
year |
1998 |
| Kerb
weight |
1080
kg |
|
