A great car is comfortable but more than that, it keeps you safe on the road. This list of the best cars for safety includes some newcomers to the car manufacturing scene along with the usual suspects.

Great Wall Motors (GWM) has launched a few new brands in recent years for the electric car space. They’re turning heads with their technology, stylish designs and 5-star safety ratings from Euro NCAP.

Whether you’re looking for a prestige vehicle with great safety credentials or a less pricey option that is just as safe, we’ve got you covered. Our list of safe and stylish cars for 2022 will have you thinking about a refresh for your wheels. And if you’re already in the market for a new-to-you set of wheels, this will give you food for thought.

Best cars for safety: prestige vehicles

Volvo has long been recognised as the maker of the safest cars in the world. Their invention of the three-point seatbelt has certainly saved millions of lives. But this year, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Tesla are hitting all the right notes in the safety stakes. Their 5-star Euro NCAP-ratings have ensured they’re listed on any best cars for safety list in 2022.

Mercedes EQ EQE

Sleek and stylish, the EQ EQE is Mercedes’ medium sized electric saloon. Expect oodles of tech, a smooth ride and ultra-comfort from this 5-star safety premium ride. The standard safety assistant packages are top notch, giving front and back passengers more than a 90% chance of surviving an accident without severe damage.

BMW X1

With better-than-average safety gear, this small SUV is rock solid on the road. Being a premium brand, you can expect plenty of room and all the usual creature comforts. The internal combustion engine models are a bit of a let-down, but the electric iX1 is a gutsy little SUV. You’ll get around 272 miles on a single charge. It’s a safe SUV with plenty more going for it.

BMW 2 Series Active Tourer

If you’re not taken with BMWs smaller SUV, maybe their Active Tourer will get you motor running? Euro NCAP ratings gave this one the full 5-stars, noting the excellent level of the standard safety equipment. Adults are a little safer in this small family car than children, but the best-in-class interior and full range of engine choices (including two PHEVs to decide on) could still swing your vote. This sporty-looking MPV is worth considering if safety is high on your list of ‘must-haves’.

Tesla Model Y

Is there a ‘best of’ list that Tesla won’t appear on? The Model Y  has a clever, clean interior design that draws heavily on the minimalist Scandi-style. The car’s performance, range and impeccable charging infrastructure are not to be sniffed at either. Euro NCAP gave the Model Y a full 5-stars and a 98% grade for the safety assist package. Not bad for a small off-roader and giving it a well-deserved place on our best cars for safety list.

Best cars for safety: Mid-range makes and models

It’s not just prestige cars that have safety ratings and tech that make their cars safe on the road. There are a few sophisticated mid-range cars from larger SUVs to smaller hatches that will keep you and your loved ones on the safe side of the street.

Mazda CX60

Mazda’s large SUV, the CX-60 has a clean design and muscly characteristics. Inside you’ll find the tech simple and logical to navigate and the finishes in the cabin of high quality. Of course, to be awarded a place on our list of best cars for safety, it also has the full 5-stars from Euro NCAP tests. Safety in this larger SUV is a little better for the kids than the adults, but the safety tech is a little less impressive than the prestige cars we’ve mentioned.

Seat Ibiza

You may think the SEAT Ibiza is a little too ho-hum to reach any best-of list. But you’d be wrong. This small family car has plenty of oomph when it comes to safety stakes. Euro NCAP gave it their full 5-stars. Safety equipment includes all the crucial airbags and AEB brakes for vulnerable pedestrians and other cars too. Lane Assist, Speed Assist and seatbelt reminders are just a few of the safety alerts you can expect to hear when rolling down the road in this 5-door family hatch.

Seat Arona

If you want something a little beefier than the Ibiza, but love the 5-star Euro NCAP safety rating, the Seat Arona may be just the thing. Not quite an SUV, but not quite a hatch either, the 5-door cross over looks like it could be an AWD, without any of the AWD-ness. Expect a good infotainment system inside the cabin and enough safety tech to keep you and the kids snug as bugs in rugs should the worst occur.

VW Golf Mk8

Volkswagen’s Golf is the every-person hatch that’s loved by young and old. The latest iteration of the model, the Mk8, has some pretty comprehensive safety tech and great ratings for kids and adult safety alike. Of course, she may not look too different from her older sister, but that doesn’t mean she’s a bad car by any stretch of the imagination. If high safety ratings are a firm consideration for your next set of wheels, the Golf Mk8 is a great choice.

Best cars for safety: New car brands

Finishing off our list of fine cars for safety-conscious drivers are a few newcomers to the car world. Great Wall Motors (GWM) has recently launched a few new makes, all of which are electric. This is in keeping with their various partnerships with Germany’s BMW, France’s Emil Frey and International Motors in the UK to bring the world better EVs.

The GMW Group sells vehicles under their own branding as well as WEY and Haval and the new dedicated EV brand ORA, to name but a few. Two of their vehicles make our best cars for safety list while the third noted here also comes from a new Chinese car maker, Build Your Dreams (BYD).

ORA Funky Cat

ORA’s Funky Cat, marketed as the ‘Good Cat’ outside of Europe, is an all-electric supermini. With styling reminiscent of the Fiat 500, but way cooler, this Cat is aimed at fashion-conscious drivers who rate safety highly in a car. It may be a strangely named car, but it has plenty of oomph and a 193-mile range on a full charge. Oh, and Euro NCAP gave it a 93% rating for safety tech, 92% for adult safety and 83% for kids. Not a bad little kitty at all!

BYD ATTO 3

Well-engineered and a coherent drive, the BYD ATTO 3 is an all-electric family SUV that measures up at around 4.5 metres. It has a range of 261 miles on a full charge. The heat pump that comes as standard stops you from running out of juice quite so quickly in cooler temperatures.

Inside, the ATTO 3 feels clean and modern with a little more flair than other SUVs in this range. The 5-star safety rating is largely down to the adult and child safety scores – both around 90%.

WEY Coffee 01

Finishing off our list of safest cars for 2022 is another model from the GWM group, this time its WEY and the Coffee 01. Touted as a smart premium electric car (it’s more of an SUV) that won’t give you range anxiety, the Coffee 01 garnered 5-stars from Euro NCAP’s crash testing. That’s spread across a 91% score for adult safety, 87% for kids and a very healthy 94% for the safety tech that comes as standard.