The Ford Mustang's Euro NCAP safety rating has been upped to three stars, an improvement of one star after the addition of more standard safety equipment.

Ford was criticised earlier this year when its muscle car scored poorly in frontal offset and full-width frontal tests. The Mustang's airbags also failed to inflate fully and seatbelt pre-tensioners and load-limiters didn’t work effectively enough.

Ford has responded by giving the Mustang standard pedestrian detection, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking (AEB) and lane-keeping assist. It has also addressed the airbag issue.

Matthew Avery, director of research at Thatcham Research, said: “Our advice to buyers is to always opt for a Euro NCAP five-star car, so a three-star rating is never a cause for celebration.”

“However, Ford’s rapid addition of a suite of standard safety tech and its prompt updates to improve the performance of the airbags and restraints is to be applauded and underlines the power of the Euro NCAP consumer testing programme as a force for positive action,” said Avery.

Ford sells the Mustang in India as a full import. The updated car is likely to hit the Indian market in the near future.