BMW’s new 5 Series has proven itself to be one of the safest executive cars on the market after securing a top five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP.

According to Euro NCAP, the seventh-generation 5 Series showed good all-round performance in crash protection and avoidance tests, thanks to its new platform, body and updated safety features.

The car’s much-hyped autonomous braking system was also tested and deemed to effectively assist the driver in avoiding or mitigating critical rear-end crashes with other cars and pedestrians.

With an 81 per cent score, the 5 Series particularly impressed in regards to pedestrian safety through its standard-fit ‘Person Warning’ system and active bonnet.

Meanwhile, Fiat’s facelifted Doblo – which originally emerged in 2010 – scored three stars, even after small safety updates to the MPV.

Euro NCAP said this score spoke volumes over the car’s true age and highlighted a lack of ambition to compete when it came to safety.

Vauxhall’s version of the Doblo – the Combo – has not been refreshed with the new safety updates, so would be expected to score even fewer stars.

Michiel van Ratingen, Euro NCAP’s secretary general, said: “Fiat’s line-up now features several cars that have been on the market for a long time and their safety is well behind the class leaders.

“However, BMW has led the way with a new 5 Series that features lots of driver assistance systems which Euro NCAP believes will transform safety in the years to come.”

Other top scorers in Euro NCAP’s crash tests this year include the Volvo S90 saloon and its V90 estate equivalent, Audi Q5, Land Rover Discovery and Toyota C-HR.

Ben Robb, brand manager at The Fuelcard People, adds: “A lot of work goes into developing safety equipment for today’s class-leading cars and even in the face of increasingly stringent guidelines, it’s impressive that many cars do indeed still manage to score all five stars.

“These five-star ratings act as a great vote of confidence for any fleet buyers looking to ensure a duty of care when choosing new company vehicles.”