Thatcham has published a list of the 10 safest new cars of 2019 as it reveals the record-breaking protection being offered by latest active and passive crash technologies.

The list of the 10 safest new cars for 2019 includes the Mazda CX-30 and Tesla Model 3 and the Mercedes-Benz CLA

Published to provide the short list for the What Car? Safety Award 2020 that will be revealed in January, the 10 nominees have been selected by a panel made up of Thatcham Research’s Matthew Avery, Euro NCAP’s secretary general Michiel van Ratingen and Claire Evans, consumer editor for What Car? Magazine.

The list has been compiled on the basis of factors including high overall Euro NCAP testing scores across all categories, potential sales and affordability and standard-fit crash avoidance technology, and features some of the safest cars ever made.

These include the Mazda CX-30 – the first car to achieve 99% in Euro NCAP’s Adult Occupant Protection tests – as well as the benchmark-setting Tesla Model 3 and the Mercedes-Benz CLA, which could be the brand’s second Safety Award winner in consecutive years.

Matthew Avery, director of research, Thatcham Research, said: “Carmakers have really raised their game this year; drivers have never been safer behind the wheel. Should the worst happen, motorists are incredibly well protected. But crucially, these cars have an abundance of standard-fit safety systems designed to prevent crashes. These innovative technologies are watching the road when you aren’t and the continued progression in their performance is genuinely exciting for road safety.

“Congratulations to the brands behind these cars, for delivering mainstream safety and giving such high priority to the well-being of their drivers.”

The 10 safest drives of 2019 – in alphabetical order:

• BMW 3 Series:
• Mazda 3
• Mazda CX-30
• Mercedes-Benz B-Class
• Mercedes-Benz CLA
• SEAT Tarraco
• Škoda Scala
• Tesla Model 3
• Volkswagen Golf
• Volkswagen T-Cross

The eventual winner and two runners up will be selected from the top 10 list by the judges and revealed at the What Car? Car of the Year Awards 2020 on 14 January.