Euro NCAP confirms buttons are back as Audi Q7 and Kia EV2 outscore XPENG X9 in 2026 tests

Euro NCAP says it has long believed that physical buttons or controls for basic functions are safer, and its latest round of tests shows some manufacturers are responding. Three new cars were assessed under the 2026 protocols: the Audi Q7, the Kia EV2 and the XPENG X9. The results show car makers making a steady return in favour of buttons and switches for basic functions, rather than touchscreens and voice control. Both the Q7 and the X9 are large, premium cars aimed at families, but Euro NCAP says the Q7 shows how to make driving controls simple, intuitive and ultimately safe, while the X9 relies too heavily on touchscreen technology.

The Audi Q7 earned a five-star rating, with 90% overall for driving controls: 100% for essential driving tasks and 80% for comfort and infotainment. Audi, part of the Volkswagen Group and previously criticised for doing away with buttons and switches, reinstated physical buttons and switches, a decision Euro NCAP says was validated by the five-star result. Its buttons and stalks are clearly visible and ergonomically sited, easily operated manually, and reduce the chances of driver distraction. Under the Safe Driving evaluation the Q7 also uses a lane departure system that varies its sensitivity depending on how attentive the driver is, reducing warnings and interventions if the driver is alert and not distracted, and it offers excellent occupant protection across frontal, side and pole impacts.

The XPENG X9, a large MPV, relies heavily on its central touchscreen for core functions, leading to possible driver distraction and low scores in driving controls, with only 20% for its primary driving controls. It still secured a five-star overall rating on the back of a strong performance in Crash Avoidance and excellent Post Crash Safety. Its speed assistance system failed to meet Euro NCAP's effectiveness benchmarks during the 2000 km real-world European test drive. The system struggled with conditional speed limits such as wet weather restrictions or HGV-specific limits, and failed to meet basic protocol requirements to display the last known speed limit alongside a clear indication when an uninterpretable sign was encountered.

The Kia EV2, a smaller crossover SUV, achieved excellent scores for its driving controls and a five-star rating thanks in part to its Driver State Monitoring system, which like the Audi varies its warning strategy depending on driver alertness. Driver assistance features such as lane departure prevention are evaluated to ensure they work in tandem with the driver's attention level, adjusting intervention timing and severity based on whether the driver is focused or distracted, and systems must show a meaningful, calibrated difference in response to score well without annoying the driver. A robust Crash Protection rating further helped secure the five stars. In the other tests, the BYD SHARK pickup truck earned five stars under a 2025 rating adapted from Australasian NCAP testing and supplemented by Euro NCAP's own frontal offset and barrier impact evaluations, despite a post-test penalty applied when a side curtain airbag failed to deploy correctly. The MAZDA 2 Hybrid kept a four-star rating carried over from its Toyota Yaris sister model.