What are the safest cars of 2019

According to some leading research conducted by several international institutions and organizations, statistics show that almost 1.3 million fatalities take place each year all over the world -- with over 30 times that number of people ending up with serious injuries. Clearly, such numbers are quite alarming but automakers are doing their level best to ensure that you’re kept out of harm’s way as much as possible. Sure, almost every major brand has invested millions into research in order to develop safer vehicles - some coming out on top over others. Therefore, here’s a list of ten of the safest cars for 2019 which you can buy and feel absolutely secure in.

Volvo XC40

Costing from AED 151,900 here in the UAE, the XC40 is the smallest crossover SUV from the stables of the Swedish marque. However, don’t be fooled by its rather compact dimensions, because the XC40 is one of the safest cars out there - it’s a Volvo after all, duh -- so it’s bristling with some of the latest in safety equipment. Earning a perfect 5-star crash rating by EURO NCAP, the XC40 gets seven airbags, seatbelts with pre-tensioners and load limiters, Volvo’s SIPS side impact protection system, WHIPS whiplash injury protection system, Collision Mitigation Support, Hill Start Assist and Automatic Hold plus Hill Descent Control to name a few. An electronically-controlled all-wheel-drive (AWD) system, anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution & brake assist, ISOFIX tethering points, all-round parking sensors with a reversing camera, attention assist and lane-departure warning are also present.

Toyota Camry

Yes, you read that right. The all-new Toyota Camry is one of the safest cars in the world. While you may end up paying up to AED 124,500 (for the full-fat V6 LTD), the Toyota Camry rewards with stellar reliability, good performance and some industry-leading safety tech. The latter encompasses six airbags, a tire pressure monitoring system, ABS with EBD and braking assist, vehicle stability control, hill-start assist control, LED headlamps wit auto-leveling, and a reverse parking camera with dynamic guidelines.

Toyota RAV4

Another Toyota and costing up to AED 139,900, the all-new RAV4 is one of the safest cars in its class and comes with a gleaming 5-star EURO NCAP crash-test rating. Some of its leading safety features include downhill assist control, auto-leveling LED headlights, seven airbags, vehicle stability control, full-time all-wheel drive, auto-dimming rearview mirror, front & rear parking sensors, and an electronic parking brake with auto-hold function.

Honda Pilot

The largest of Honda crossovers, the 165,900-Dirham Pilot comes with Honda’s Sensing Suite package. This brings with its blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic monitoring & alert, electronic stability program with traction control system, hill-start assist, agile handling assist and a multi-angle rearview camera system. Of course, there are six airbags, anti-lock brakes with its electronic assist nannies, a tire pressure monitor and ISOFIX anchors.

Kia Telluride

Starting from AED 119,000, the Kia Telluride is loaded with protective measures (especially the top-end versions). You get terrain/drive modes, trailer stability assist, electronic handbrake with auto hold, heads-up display, surround-view camera system, safe exit assist, lane-departure warning & prevention, vehicle stability management, traction control program, hill assist with downhill brake control, blind-spot monitor and six airbags amongst others.

Genesis G80

Costing up to AED 260,000, the Genesis G80 is loaded to the gills with safety features. Apart from the usual electronic nannies, some of the G80’s best kit includes nine airbags, attention assist, active headrests, collision detection, 360-degree cameras, crash-sensing door unlock, and a moving object detection system.

Audi Q8

One of the brand’s latest, the Audi Q8 is packing loads of safety measures like Quattro all-wheel-drive system, electronically-locking differential, cornering assist, virtual surround-view camera system, radar-guided cruise control, blind-spot warning with lane-departure assist, driver attention monitor, active headrest, rear cross-traffic alert, dynamic stability control, hill assist and forward collision detection.

BMW X5

The all-new BMW X5 starts from AED 391,000, but it’s one of the safest cars from the Bavarian automaker. It comes as standard with eight airbags, puncture-resistant runflat tires, dynamic stability and traction control programs, virtual surround-view camera system, blind-spot alert, lane-departure alert with assist, active headrests, road-sign assist plus many, many more nannies.

Mercedes-Benz E63S AMG

Costing a staggering 510,000 dirhams, the Mercedes-Benz E63S AMG 4MATIC+ is overflowing with safety features. To name just a few, you get intelligent all-wheel drive, eight airbags, advanced collision detection system, blind-spot monitoring system, lane-departure alert with lane-keeping assist, active stability program, programmable traction control system and driver’s attention assist.

Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class

Scoring top marks at EURO NCAP tests, the GLC-Class boasts ten airbags, active headrests, electronically-managed all-wheel-drive system, rollover mitigation, dynamic stability control, hill assist, forward collision warning and assist, surround-view camera system, attention assist and ISOFIX anchor points among several others.