The 10 safest cars of 2019 have been revealed by automotive research centre Thatcham Research. The list features some of the safest cars ever made and shows how automotive safety technology continues to move on at pace. The 10 nominees have been selected by an expert 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 judging criteria takes a variety of factors into account, including: five-star Euro NCAP rating,   potential sales and affordability, standard-fit crash avoidance technology and Advanced Driving Assistant Systems.

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.”
The ten safest drives of 2019 in alphabetical order have been named as:

- BMW 3 Series
- Mazda 3
- Mazda CX-30   
- Mercedes-Benz B-Class
- Mercedes-Benz CLA  
- Seat Tarraco   
- Škoda Scala:   
- Tesla Model 3
- Volkswagen Golf 8
- Volkswagen T-Cross

Claire Evans, consumer editor What Car? Magazine commented, “All the cars in this year's shortlist gain four or five stars in What Car?'s road tests and it's great to see that they're also the top performers in terms of safety. The majority of this year's contenders are also affordable to buy, and that means whichever you choose you can be reassured you're getting one of the safest new cars without breaking the bank.”

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 January 14.