Краштесты BMW — 520i, E39, 1998 год

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’.

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.

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