I think I've found the answer for myself. It's at the top of this page - 2nd sentence:

www.euroncap.com/en/ratings-rewards/best-in-class-.../

Yes they do, but in the real world you might get smashed up the back by something weighing twice or more as much, 2 ton van hitting small hatchback (or 7 seater with 2 kiddies perched just in front of the back window) up the rear is going to see massively more violence inside the safety cell than a 2 ton 7 series with 6 feet of boot to soak the impact up.

If we could guarantee to only hit a carefully placed clean concrete block when our time comes then yes all are sort of equal i suppose weight for weight, unfortunately that isn't how things happen in real life.

On the subject of potential accidents i worked today, up past B'ham on the M6 and back, i've seen some really really stupid driving today, numerou examples of swerving violently across several lanes on nice greasy roads to get a couple of cars in front then braking heavily whilst still on the turn, no one connected fortunately but no thanks is due to these idiots who wouldn't have lasted 5 minutes in old design cars, these people really need nCap scores as high as possible, one clot in a van suddenly swerved from the outside lane across the front of an artic lorry (going up M1) to take the M6 slip road off the M1 north, no gap at all that i could see between the van and lorry, the lorry driver ignored him completely (correctly IMHO)...BUT, had that lorry been a 65 16 or 66 plate then the AEBS auto brakes would have applied full emergency braking and what might might have been the result then for everyone else? as our half wit van man sails off into the distance leaving a trail of destruction in his wake.

Edited by gordonbennet on 07/01/2017 at 21:14