Safest small cars 2024/2025

Not too long ago, you’d be lucky if you found a single airbag within some small cars. However, we’ve come a very long way in a fairly short amount of time and, thanks to huge developments in safety standards and technology, the safest small cars now offer a level of safety akin to a far bigger (and often pricier) vehicle. 

Below, we’ve rounded up a selection of the very safest small cars that you can currently buy — a hatchback, a supermini and a crossover — according to the latest Euro NCAP safety testing criteria.

BYD Dolphin

• Prices from £26,000
• Euro NCAP Rating: 5 stars (2023)
• Adult occupant score: 89%
• Child occupant score: 87%
• Vulnerable road users score: 85%
• Safety assist score: 79%

Just like many other Chinese newcomer brands, BYD is a regular sight on the latest Euro NCAP scoreboards. Even the entry-level BYD Dolphin hatchback is filled with safety kit including lane-keeping assist, a 360-degree camera and traffic sign recognition. The brand certainly hasn’t been stingy when it comes to other features, either, and the Dolphin’s cabin wouldn’t feel out of place in a far more expensive car. We didn’t find it particularly exciting to drive during testing, but it’s very difficult to argue with this electric car’s sheer value for money.

Subaru Crosstrek

• Prices from £35,000
• Euro NCAP Rating: 5 stars (2024)
• Adult occupant score: 83%
• Child occupant score: 90%
• Vulnerable road users score: 85%
• Safety assist score: 72%

The Subaru Crosstrek certainly looks rather sturdy in its appearance, and its five-star rating is proof that this crossover lives up to its muscular physique. It’s far from being the most efficient car on the market (or even in its class) but, thanks to its four-wheel-drive powertrain, few rivals can come close to the Crosstrek’s ability in the rough stuff. If you prefer to stay firmly on the tarmac, though, it also settles down into a pleasingly comfortable cruiser.

Suzuki Swift

• Prices from £19,500
• Euro NCAP Rating: 3 stars (2024)
• Adult occupant score: 67%
• Child occupant score: 65%
• Vulnerable road users score: 76%
• Safety assist score: 62%

While it only managed a three-star rating, the Suzuki Swift is statistically the safest supermini you can currently buy according to Euro NCAP’s 2023/2024 testing criteria. Starting from under £20,000, the little Suzuki is very cheap to buy by modern standards, but it still comes with a healthy dose of safety tech, including autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning and lane-keeping assistance. The Swift’s mild-hybrid powertrain makes it cheap to run, too, although its performance can only realistically be described as modest.

Safest small car Euro NCAP scores