The authoritative Euro NCAP crash test programme recently showed that the world's safest car is not a large, luxury sedan or SUV but a tiny new four-seater with a pair of fancy sliding doors.
It's the Peugeot 1007, due for launch in South Africa around July this year, which eclipsed much larger competition to become the highest-scoring car in the history of the Euro NCAP crash tests.
The sliding doors serve front and rear seats and there's genuine space for four adults - I know, I've parked off in one in a Paris showroom - as well as (Peugeot's promise now) "lively performance, agility and drivability through its 2 Tronic gearbox, and unrivalled levels of safety".
It was launched at the 2004 Paris auto show.
The tests award points according to each vehicle's performance in a variety of crash circumstances: head-on at 40mph (64km/h), side-on at 30mph (48km/h - the urban speed limit in Britain) and sideways into a pole at 18mph (about 30-km/h).
A number of vehicles have achieved the 33 points rquired for a five-star rating - Peugeot's 407 and Citroën C5 have done it - but the 36 points gained by the Peugeot 1007 hands it the title "safest car in the world".
The Citroën C5 did score 36 points during its 2004 assessment but its score was rounded up whereas those of the 1007 were actually rounded down!
A lot of the 1007's inherent safety, Peugeot says, can be attributed to its tough body. Very little debris entered the cabin during the 40mph had-on.
The car has seven crash bags - including one on the steering column to cushion the driver's legs.
- The little Peugeot had its public debut only at the 2004 Paris auto show and has already received widespread acclaim for its futuristic and original design as well as two major awards.
- The 1007 will arrive in South Africa in July but motoring.co.za will but driving it soon in Europe - we'll tell you know all about it.