Volkswagen's Passat model might be the best protection for motorists, a new survey from Australian researchers has shown.
The report by researchers from Monash University Accident Research Centre made a ranking of the best cars on the road, using data from close to 3 million vehicles that had been involved in crashes in Australia and New Zealand between 1987 and 2005.
Each vehicle received ratings for how well it had protected the motorist and passengers inside, as well as other road users during a collision.
The Passat 1998 to 2005 was the number one car for safety.
A sedan/saloon model, marketed as a small family car and named after a wind, the Passat has been one of Volkswagen's key models since its introduction in 1973.
At the bottom of the scale was the Hijet from Japanese car manufacturer Daihatsu, a small micro van that researchers argued was 26 times more likely to cause injury or fatality to its passengers than a Passat.
Not surprisingly, among the overall trends it was found that more recent models tested best for safety.
Lighter vehicles were also found to be the worst performers in crashes, while European models were said to be "leading the way in safety design."
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