Fiat Punto becomes the first car to receive ZERO stars in official crash safety test II Fiat Punto fails Euro NCAP crash testing: Here’s why a car that once scored 5-star rating disappointed II What! Ageing Fiat Punto scores Euro NCAP's first ever zero-star rating [Watch VIDEO]

The Fiat Punto has become the first car to receive ZERO stars in a industry-wide crash test.

When the supermini originally went on sale in 2005 it was handed a rating of 'good' by Euro NCAP.

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However, tests have now become far more stringent and the £12,000 car was handed a zero rating.

The FCA group said safety was of utmost important.

But the car's poor rating was based on low scores for its crash performance, as well as the lack of key technologies such as Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) and Lane Support Systems.

It also had an unprecedented zero per cent 'Safety Assist' result.

The car scored zero in its Euro NCAP crash safety test (Image: Euro NCAP/SWNS.com)

When it was first launched in 2005 the Punto scored a good rating (Image: Euro NCAP/SWNS.com)

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For adult occupants it scored 51 per cent, child occupants 43 per cent and pedestrians 52 per cent.

The Volkswagen Polo, by comparison, scored 96 per cent, 85 per cent and 76 per cent in the same categories.

Matthew Avery, director of research, Thatcham Research, said: "In 2005 the Fiat Punto achieved a good rating.

"However, Euro NCAP frequently raises the bar in its testing regime - and the Fiat Punto's adult occupant protection score of 51 per cent is more than 30 per cent below the average for the superminis tested in 2017.

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For adult occupants it scored 51 per cent, child occupants 43 per cent and pedestrians 52 per cent.(Image: Getty Images Europ)

The list includes Toyota Yaris, Toyota Aygo, Alfa Romeo Giulietta, Ford's C-MAX and Grand C-MAX, Opel Karl, Fiat Punto and DS 3. While Toyota Yaris managed to get a five-star rating in the latest crash test, most of these cars have now dropped to 3 star ratings in this year's safety tests.

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In the ratings, Fiat Punto comes out as the worst having been outclassed by every single car that went through the test in recent times and thus becomes Euro NCAP's first car ever to be awarded zero stars.

Euro NCAP Secretary General, Michiel van Ratingen, said, "We have seen a lot of good cars in 2017, able to meet Euro NCAP's 5-star requirements. Superminis like the new Polo, the Fiesta and the Ibiza now come with advanced safety technology as standard, offering the best in crash avoidance and crash protection. The fact that older cars cannot compete illustrates the pace at which the vehicle industry is innovating safety and the willingness and ability of competitive manufacturers to meet the highest standards. Those who do not keep their cars up to the latest standards get left behind, as these results clearly show."

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The Fiat Punto has been on sale since 2005. In India, the Fiat Punto received a facelift in 2014 and is now sold as the Punto Evo. Euro NCAP's rating scheme requires cars to score a minimum number of points in all four areas of assessment to qualify for even one star. In areas like adult and child occupant safety and pedestrian protection, the Punto performed well enough to qualify for at least two stars. However, the driver assistance and crash avoidance were the areas the car lost it all.

Michiel van Ratingen, "This is perhaps the strongest example of a manufacturer continuing to sell a product that is well past its best-before date, at the expense of the unsuspecting car buyer. We would urge consumers to check our website for the latest ratings and to choose cars with the most up-to-date five-star ratings, many examples of which we have seen in 2017."