Nio Firefly EV achieved a 5-star rating in the latest Euro NCAP crash test

The Nio Firefly EV achieved a five-star rating in the latest Euro NCAP (European New Car Assessment Program) crash test. The five-door hatchback achieved a 96 percent safety compliance rating for occupant protection in the latest 2025 Euro NCAP test -- the highest among all models evaluated. 

For child safety, the Firefly EV scored 87 percent. It also earned 82 percent for pedestrian protection and 86 percent for safety assist systems, demonstrating exceptionally high overall safety performance. 

In late July, the Firefly EV achieved all G or higher G+ ratings across four categories in China's latest C-IASI (China Insurance Automotive Safety Index) evaluation, becoming the safest compact car in the assessment. 

The Firefly received the highest “G+” (Good+) rating for Occupant Safety Index, Pedestrian Safety Index (Outside the Vehicle), and Vehicle Auxiliary Safety Index. Its “Crashworthiness & Maintenance Economy Index” also achieved a “Good” (G) rating. 

This places the Firefly alongside the Aito M9 and Onvo L60 as only the third models in C-IASI history to achieve “Good” or “Good+” (G and G+) ratings across all four categories. The Occupant Safety Index resulted in the Firefly achieving “Good” ratings in all eight sub-items. In the Pedestrian Safety Index, the Firefly scored full marks in the AEB pedestrian protection test. 

For the Vehicle Auxiliary Safety Index, the Emergency Call (E-call) service, Lane Keeping Assist System, and Driver Monitoring System (DMS) all received perfect scores, contributing to an overall score rate of 94.7%. In the Crashworthiness & Maintenance Economy Index, where 5.4% of vehicles achieve a “Good” rating, the Firefly outperformed models priced above 200,000 yuan ($28,000). 

Since the implementation of the C-IASI in 2018, Firefly is the first compact car to achieve such safety results. The Firefly’s body length of 4,003 mm is the smallest among the 161 models tested by C-IASI in its history. The average length of the tested vehicles is 4,807 mm, and other models that have achieved “all-G” ratings are all longer than 4,500 mm. 

Building the safest small cars for global users was a core principle established during the Firefly's product definition phase, Daniel Jin, president of the Nio sub-brand, said in July. Jin noted that achieving higher safety standards in compact cars is challenging due to constraints like cost and size, particularly given Firefly's short front and rear overhangs, which limit crumple zones during collisions. 

Firefly is equipped with nine airbags, more than the eight in the BMW X7 and the seven in the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Compared to the six airbags typically found in most vehicles, the additional three are a far-side airbag between the front driver and passenger seats, as well as two extra airbags in the rear seats. 

Moreover, when the Firefly’s side curtain airbags deploy, they can fully cover the area from the A-pillar to the C-pillar. The Firefly's side curtain airbags can achieve full coverage from the A-pillar to the C-pillar. Additionally, the rear overhang of this vehicle is relatively small, and considering that children often sit in the back seat, they have specifically reinforced the rear safety. 

The rear bumper uses 2000 MPa materials, which are typically found on submarines. The design standard requires the vehicle to withstand a rear collision at 90 km/h, with post-collision compression deformation exceeding the minimum requirements for a 50 km/h rear collision under both Chinese and European regulations.