Hi Deirdre,

It’s an issue we’ve raised with more than a few manufacturers, and always the answer is along the lines of “we thoroughly test all of our cars for their safety and crash performance.” On a technical level, the rear impact structure of a car is under the seats, and rear impacts tend not to happen at very high speeds, so that’s all good, but sadly the likes of Euro NCAP does not yet include a rear-impact on its testing regime, so we don’t have any independent data. Of course, if you want the safest car in any class, generally speaking the best thing to do is buy a Volvo, and the XC90 (both current and old) really did set new standards in terms of occupant safety. That would be our seven-seat pick if safety is at the top of your agenda.