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Tesla Model 3, Model X take top honors in Euro NCAP Best in Class Cars 2019 List
The European New Car Assessment Programme or more popularly known as Euro NCAP published its “Best of the Best of 2019” list and the Tesla Model X and Model 3 are among the Best In Class for 2019.
The Tesla Model 3 was named the best vehicle in the Large Family Car category and shared the spotlight with the BMW 3 Series, despite edging out the Bavarian sedan in Safety Assist by receiving a score of 94 versus BMW’s 76. Euro NCAP also awarded the Tesla Model X all-electric SUV as the best Large Off-Road vehicle, beating out the SEAT Tarraco which took home second place.
The awards come with prestige as Euro NCAP is one of the most respected car safety watchdogs, providing consumers with an independent and realistic safety assessment of some of Europe’s most popular vehicles. Established in 1997 and modeled after the car assessment program of the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the program has since served as a catalyst when it comes to improving vehicle safety. The Euro NCAP overall safety rating was introduced in 2009 and evaluates the safety of the vehicle based on four areas: Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection, Pedestrian Protection, and Safety Assist.
The Euro NCAP safety tests simulate possible real-life accidents that may cause serious injuries or even death of vehicle occupants. For example, the frontal impact test simulates accidents such as head-on collisions where the vehicle’s structure, how its parts safely absorb different crash forces, and whether the vehicle’s design leaves enough space in the passenger compartment during big collisions are looked into because these factors can spell the difference between life and death. Euro NCAP also tests vehicles to see if their child restraint systems are properly designed and can keep the child safe during vehicular accidents.
The category on Vulnerable Road User tests how other users such as pedestrians and cyclists are at risk of injuries when they are hit by the vehicles undergoing testing. The safety watchdog also scores driver-assist technologies that help lower the risk of accidents on the road and also mitigate injuries.
As the Model 3 and Model X rule their respective categories in the Best In Class of 2019 list just helps prove that Tesla is on the right path in building safe vehicles from the ground up, plus developing technologies such as its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features that push vehicle safety to the next level.
To be included in Euro NCAP Best in Class Cars Of 2019 list is a feather in any automotive manufacturer’s cap. It means the vehicles are among the safest on the road today.
In mid-2019, the car safety watchdog awarded the Tesla Model 3 sedan 5 stars in all of its safety categories, which set the bar higher for vehicles in its class.
“Tesla has done a great job of playing the structural benefits of an electric vehicle to its advantage. The Tesla Model 3 achieved one of the highest Safety Assist scores we have seen to date,” said Thatcham Research head of research Matthew Avery.
The Model 3 has shown off its safety features in the real world, most recently protecting a driver after an SUV landed on top of a Model 3 during a multi-car pile-up in China.
The Model 3’s bigger sibling, the Model X, is also considered a champ by Euro NCAP as it awarded Tesla’s flagship SUV a 5-Star Safety Rating in December.
Other Best In Class for 2019 winners include Mercedes-Benz CLA for the Small Family Car category with Mazda 3 as its runner-up. The Subaru Forester ruled the Small Off-Road/MPV category with the Volkswagen T-Cross and the Mazda CX-30 sharing the second spot. The best in the Supermini category was given to the Audi A1 and Renault Clio with the Ford Puma given the runner-up honors.
Check out the video footage below showing Euro NCAP’s Best In Class Cars of 2019:
News
Tesla rolls out new life-saving feature for kids in Europe
On average, 37 children die every year from being left in vehicles unattended.

Tesla is rolling out a new life-saving feature in the European market, one that has been available in the United States for some time and can be considered potentially invaluable.
One of the most preventable causes of death for children is being left in cars unattended. On average, 37 children die every year after being left in hot vehicles. The cause of death is usually heatstroke, and it is incredibly avoidable.
Tesla rolls out new crucial safety feature aimed at saving children
However, there are instances where kids are left in vehicles and lose their lives, something that many companies have tried to fight with alerts and features of their own.
Tesla is one of them, as it has rolled out features like ultrasonic sensors to detect heartbeats, interior cameras to detect movement, and alerts to notify parents if they leave someone in the car.
A few months ago, Tesla rolled out a new feature called “Child Left Alone Detection” in the United States. It was described as:
“If an unattended child is detected, the vehicle will flash the exterior indicator lights, play an alert tone, and send a notification to your Tesla app. This will repeat at regular intervals until you return to your vehicle. Cabin data is processed locally and is not transmitted to Tesla.
This feature is enabled by default. To disable, go to Controls > Safety > Child Left Alone Detection.”
This feature was only rolled out in the U.S. at the time. It is now making its way to the European market, according to Not a Tesla App, which detected the rollout in the 2025.32.6 software update.
The rollout of this feature could specifically change many unfortunate situations. For many of us, it seems hard to think about leaving something as precious as another human life in a hot car. Many of us won’t leave our vehicles without our cell phones, so it seems unlikely that someone would do it without a child.
News
Tesla gets another NHTSA probe, this time related to door handles
“Although Tesla vehicles have manual door releases inside of the cabin, in these situations, a child may not be able to access or operate the releases even if the vehicle’s driver is aware of them.”

Tesla is facing another investigation into its vehicles by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), this time related to an issue with its door handles.
In a new Open Investigation named “Electronic door handles become inoperative,” the NHTSA says that it has received nine complaints from owners of the 2021 Tesla Model Y stemming from “an inability to open doors.”
These issues were reported after “parents exited their vehicle after a drive cycle in order to remove a child from the pack seat or placing a child in the back seat before starting a drive cycle.” Parents said they were “unable to reopen a door to regain access to the vehicle.”
Tesla door handles become unlikely hero as they stump road rager
Four of the nine complaints ended with having to break a window to regain access to the cabin.
🚨 Model Year 2021 Tesla Model Y vehicles are under a preliminary investigation by the NHTSA due to a potential issue with door handles, with nine owners reporting an inability to open doors from the outside
“The most commonly reported scenarios involved parents exiting the… pic.twitter.com/u0qBBiu9LT
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) September 16, 2025
The NHTSA goes on to explain that, while Teslas do have a manual door release inside the cabin, a child may not be able to access it:
“Although Tesla vehicles have manual door releases inside of the cabin, in these situations, a child may not be able to access or operate the releases even if the vehicle’s driver is aware of them. As a result, in these instances, an occupant who remains inside a vehicle in this condition may be unable to be rapidly retrieved by persons outside of the vehicle.”
It appears that the agency is attributing the issue to a low voltage in the vehicle’s 12V DC battery. This would mean there needs to be some sort of notification to the driver that the battery is running low on power and should be replaced to avoid this issue.
The NHTSA estimates that 174,290 vehicles are potentially impacted by this issue. It plans to assess the scope and severity of the condition, the agency says. The NHTSA also wants to see what approach Tesla uses to supply power to door locks and the reliability of the applicable power supplies.
News
Tesla won’t implement strange Grok character as Musk dispels rumor
It is nice to see that Tesla is not forcing this kind of character upon owners of their vehicles, especially considering that many people had a real problem with it.

Tesla is not going to implement a strange character as a Grok assistant in its vehicles, as CEO Elon Musk dispelled the rumor, which seemed to truly invoke some quite polarizing reactions.
Yesterday, there was some controversy within the Tesla community as rumors of a Grok assistant, named Mūn (pronounced like Moon), being implemented into the vehicles started to circulate.
It had some legitimacy. It was initially posted by an employee, and it appeared to be a relatively confirmed development.
However, it really did rub some people the wrong way. Mūn was an Anime-style female dressed in promiscuous clothing, so it was not everyone’s style, and I’m sure not everyone’s significant other’s cup of tea. It seemed a very strange decision to add it, especially considering that, at the time, there was no confirmation to dispel the arrival of the Grok assistant.
That was until Tesla CEO Elon Musk stepped in to put the speculation to bed once and for all.
🚨 Elon has confirmed the Grok assistant rumor with the character Mūn is untrue https://t.co/EC7absBZSj pic.twitter.com/1Skhvy9USQ
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) September 16, 2025
It was somewhat strange that this type of issue arose in the first place, but given that it was initially released by an employee, the entire situation is self-explanatory.
It is nice to see that Tesla is not forcing this kind of character upon owners of their vehicles, especially considering that many people had a real problem with it. Many owners did not shy away from the fact that they would like the option to opt out:
I want something family friendly…like an Optimus avatar or something.
— FSD (Unsupervised) Test Pilot (@j32pmxr) September 16, 2025
For now, Grok remains a part of Tesla vehicles, and personally, it is very nice to have in my Model Y to answer some quick questions I might have or even to entertain some people in the car.
Nevertheless, I am relieved I won’t have this character forced upon me in my vehicle.
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