Euro NCAP 2026: tougher in-cabin rules threaten 5-star ratings
Euro NCAP 2026: stricter in-cabin safety rules and what they mean
Euro NCAP 2026: tougher in-cabin rules threaten 5-star ratings
From 2026, Euro NCAP will penalize touch-first controls, mandate clearer displays, and tighten driver monitoring, making five-star ratings harder. Learn more.
2025-10-17T18:53:01+03:00
2025-10-17T18:53:01+03:00
2025-10-17T18:53:01+03:00
From 2026, Euro NCAP will roll out updated safety standards that could cost many brands their familiar five-star ratings. The spotlight moves to what happens inside the cabin: the goal is to keep the driver’s attention locked on the road.New requirementsThe rules bring penalty points if essential functions lack physical buttons and live only on touch panels. Drivers are expected not to avert their gaze from the road for more than two seconds — a limit that, Euro NCAP says, can be enough to result in a crash. That shift puts touch-first interfaces under real pressure and favors simple, tactile controls.The program will also assess instrument placement: speed and warning signals must be presented at a specific angle to the driver. That could become a headache for models without traditional instrument clusters, such as the new MINI.There are also points for driver-attention monitoring, child presence detection, and the correct operation of airbags. The changes have already raised concern among manufacturers, because earning the top rating will be far harder than before. For buyers, the Euro NCAP score will remain one of the key reference points.
From 2026, Euro NCAP will penalize touch-first controls, mandate clearer displays, and tighten driver monitoring, making five-star ratings harder. Learn more.
Michael Powers, Editor
From 2026, Euro NCAP will roll out updated safety standards that could cost many brands their familiar five-star ratings. The spotlight moves to what happens inside the cabin: the goal is to keep the driver’s attention locked on the road.
New requirements
The rules bring penalty points if essential functions lack physical buttons and live only on touch panels. Drivers are expected not to avert their gaze from the road for more than two seconds — a limit that, Euro NCAP says, can be enough to result in a crash. That shift puts touch-first interfaces under real pressure and favors simple, tactile controls.
The program will also assess instrument placement: speed and warning signals must be presented at a specific angle to the driver. That could become a headache for models without traditional instrument clusters, such as the new MINI.
There are also points for driver-attention monitoring, child presence detection, and the correct operation of airbags. The changes have already raised concern among manufacturers, because earning the top rating will be far harder than before. For buyers, the Euro NCAP score will remain one of the key reference points.
