Although you can no longer say that the new Ibiza is small, it still plays a role in the European supermini segment. It's about 4-meters long, about the size of a Golf II series. Nevertheless, it's good to know that you don't have to be a big kid to be safe. The Spanish-German Ibiza got 5 stars at the EuroNCAP test in both frontal and side impact tests. During the front impact, the dashboard protected occupants correctly but there were some concerns raised about the steering column. Keep an eye on Seat: some rumors say VW could build Seat cars in Mexico to appeal the Latin/Spanish-speaking market.



[Source: EuroNCAP]

In the wake of some videos showing a couple of different Chinese cars being put through the standard European frontal offset crash test, Fiat has demonstrated how it's done properly. While the Brilliance BS6 and Chery Amulet would have likely left their occupants maimed or lifeless, the tiny new 500 earned five stars. The passenger compartment remained intact and the doors didn't pop out or buckle. Small cars can be built to be safe and hopefully whatever Chrysler ultimately sources from Chery will meet that same performance standard. A video of the test and Fiat's press release are after the jump.

[Source: Fiat]

The gang in Detroit aren't the only carmakers who aren't thrilled by the prospect of some new regulations that will affect emissions and fuel economy. The Japanese Automobile Manufacturers Association recently released their opinions of the EU proposal to restrict CO2 emissions to 130g/km. The members of JAMA don't think they can meet the requirements in the time-frame alloted. The combination of emissions, environmental and safety standards will make it hard to meet the new requirements.

New safety standards like the latest EuroNCAP crash tests, pedestrian safety requirements and others have increased the average weight of cars from Japanese manufacturers by 65 lbs between 1999 and 2005 and market forces for additional equipment have added another 155 lbs. The automakers have are pushing a more comprehensive approach the includes infrastructure improvements for better traffic flow, modified driving habits and technology improvements to make cars more efficient. The Japanese carmakers, particularly Nissan, are actively working on technology like vehicle to vehicle and vehicle to infrastructure communications to improve both safety and traffic flow.

[Source: JAMA]