| Front and side impact rating |
 |
|
|
|
 |
Pedestrian test rating |
 |
|
|
|
Test Scores: Front 12(75%) Side 14(78%) Overall 25(74%) Pedestrian 8(22%)
|
|
|
|
BMW
modified the 5-series after initial testing, chiefly
because its front airbags fired late. Changes included a
new airbag crash sensor, load-limiting front belts, and
additional weld points in the footwell. Results given here
are for upgraded cars which BMW says are on sale now. In
the frontal impact, the driver's upper body was well
protected, and the car meets side-impact legislation
effective from October. The head protection airbag also
worked well. Pedestrian protection was poor, however –
the bonnet and bumper were judged to be particularly
'aggressive'. |
Impact
Protection
|
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
| Driver
Front Impact |
Passenger
Front Impact |
Driver
Side Impact |
|
Frontal
Impact
|
|
|
| After
the impact, the door aperture was little deformed and the
body structure was stable. The left front wheel crushed
the driver's footwell, causing a body seam to burst and
expose the wheel arch liner. The driver and passenger
airbags worked well and the load limiting belts reduced
chest injury risks from those seen in the first test. The
knee impact areas included hard contact points which could
injure the driver's knees, upper legs and pelvis. |
Side
Impact
|
|
|
| Side-impact
chest and head airbags are standard on this car. The head
bags are designed to protect the occupants from hitting
objects outside the car. As yet, Euro NCAP cannot test for
this, so it does not add to the score. The car's rear door
opened during the impact, meaning that unrestrained
occupants risked being thrown out onto the road. The chest
airbag cushioned the driver's arm, ribs and abdomen, but
did not protect as well as those fitted to other cars
tested. |
Child
Restraint
|
|
|
| A
European car manufacturer's association (ACEA) pictogram
on the door pillar and warnings in English and German
stuck to the windscreen alerted drivers of the dangers of
fitting a child seat in the front passenger seat. They did
not warn of the risk of injury or death if disobeyed,
however. This aside, Euro NCAP prefers warnings to be
permanent – these could be peeled off or lost if the
windscreen needed replacing. Both child dummies sat in BMW
Junior forward-facing seats, which have adjustable floor
braces. These are designed to prevent excessive forward
movement and they worked well. The seats did not comply
with regulation R44.03, however, because their belt
routing was not colour-coded. Finally, neither seat
contained the children's heads correctly in the side
impact. |
Pedestrian
Protection
|
|
|
| BMW
needs to be pay more attention to pedestrian protection.
The front of the car is particularly hard and unforgiving,
and 12 out of 18 test sites rated as 'poor'. |
Model
history and safety equipment
|
|
|
| The
latest 5-series launched in Sept '95. Twin front and side
airbags, inflatable head protection system, belt
pre-tensioners and load limiters, ABS, traction and
stability control and power steering are fitted to cars
sold in EU. Test modifications available on factory orders
from May '98. |
| Make,
model and hand of drive |
BMW
520i LHD |
| Body
type |
4-door
saloon |
| Model
year |
1998 |
| Kerb
weight |
1485
kg |
| VIN
and date when rating applies |
WBADD11000BN64341 |
|
