Safest small cars in the UK
High quality safe small cars from rated and reviewed dealers
Last updated May 24, 2024 by
Tom Wiltshire
Best safe small cars of 2025
Small cars offer low up-front and running costs, but you don't want to feel like you've compromised on safety by going small. With these cars you don't have to - our expert reviews team has looked at Euro NCAP crash test ratings and pulled together a list of the safest small cars you can buy in 2025.
Most of the cars in this list have scored the full five-star rating, which takes into account the safety of adults and children in the event of a crash, how the car deals with vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, and what driver assistance technology is available.
These aren't necessarily the best small cars you can buy, but they're certainly the safest.
A brilliant adult occupant score for the Smart saw it hit the heights of 96% in the car's 2022 Euro NCAP crash test, on the way to an overall five-star performance. It also scored a respectable 89% in the child occupant section and an impressive 88% for its safety assistance. Not only is it safe for those on board in the event of a crash, but it's also one of our favourite electric SUVs because it's roomy inside and great to drive.
What's good
What’s not so good
The Volkswagen Polo sits high on this list because of its fantastic 94% rating for adult occupant protection, and while its child safety score of 80% is some way behind the Smart #1, it still performs really well overall. The Polo is another car that's not just safe but also great to own, because it's really comfortable and feels safe and secure like a bigger car on the road.
BYD might be a new name in the UK but it's well-established in the Chinese market, so it's perhaps no surprise that its small electric car, called Dolphin, has scored well in safety tests. It received the full five stars, though it just missed out on hitting 90% in any of the sections. Its 79% driver assistance score looks poor on the face of it, but it's actually pretty good among small cars.
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The Ora 03 is another new Chinese entry to the UK and has impressed with the technology in its cars. The 92% rating for adult protection is excellent, but what's perhaps even better is the 93% score for driver assistance. Out on the road some of that tech can be quite intrusive, but the fact it's available on a small, relatively affordable electric car is quite impressive.
2025
Smart Spender Award
Highly Commended
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Renault is a past-master at providing good safety levels, having scored the first ever five-star rating from Euro NCAP way back in 2000. The current Clio upholds that tradition, although its 2019 five-star rating was before the safety organisation tightened up its testing regime. Regardless, 96% and 89% for adult and child occupant protection respectively is reassuringly high.
2025
Urban Living Award
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The Toyota Yaris Cross is a fantastic little car, with a hybrid engine that gets ridiculously impressive fuel economy without even trying. It scores highly for both adult and child occupant protection, which is reassuring, and you get an almost SUV-like driving position that means visibility is great when driving around town.
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Toyota declared that it engineered the Yaris to be the world's safest compact car, and it achieved a full five stars from NCAP in 2020. Its occupant safety scores aren't quite as good as the Yaris Cross, but it performs slightly better for safety assistance. Testing has become stricter since the Yaris went through, but these scores are still respectable for a small car.
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A maximum five-star Euro NCAP performance that still left some room for improvement, the Arona ticked all the boxes without dazzling in any area. But five stars is five stars, and that's no mean feat in this era of tougher crash tests. On top of this, the Arona is good value for money and you get loads of kit.
Another brilliant value electric car, the MG4 performed pretty well across the board without standing out in any area. It was let down a bit by its vulnerable road users and safety assist scores, which were both below 80%, but it was rated 83% and 80% for adult and child occupant safety respectively.
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Tested in 2023, the striking new Kona scored four stars rather than the full five largely due to its assistance systems not quite hitting the highest spots, while child occupant protection was actually a higher score than adult protection. It's worth noting that only the higher-spec N Line S cars get the full suite of safety kit available on the Kona, including rear-cross traffic alert and 360-degree parking camera.
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