THE new Alfa 159, which goes on sale in the UK on Saturday February 18, has been awarded a five-star occupant safety rating from Euro NCAP - but a woeful score for pedestrian safety.

Together with the maximum score for occupant safety, the car also achieved four out of five stars for child protection safety.

Safety features on the car include eight airbags, (seven of which will be standard equipment on UK cars), including special bags to protect the knees, and sidebags that extend all along the window area. There are also restraint systems (pre-tensioners and load limiters on the seatbelts), and front seats with an anti-whiplash system that automatically brings the head restraint closer to the occupant’s neck in the event of a rear impact.

However, the 159 scored badly when assessed to the injury it would cause a pedestrian in a front impact, scoring just a single star.

To view EuroNCAP's assessment (pdf) of the 159 click here.