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One of the most important factors that influence your decision when buying a new car is how safe it is, and luckily for drivers across the world (including here in Australia), there is a safety rating score which tells us exactly how safe a vehicle is before we buy it. The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) rates cars from 1 to 5 in terms of safety, with a 5-star rating the highest available.
If you’re buying a new vehicle and want to know what level of protection that car would offer in a collision, the ANCAP safety rating provides an easy-to-understand guideline to use as a point of comparison.
ANCAP is Australasia's leading independent vehicle safety advocate. It aims to provide consumers with transparent advice and information about the safety levels of new passenger and light commercial vehicles. Since 1993, ANCAP has published crash test results for more than 590 vehicles sold throughout Australia and New Zealand.
ANCAP’s vision is: “To eliminate road trauma through the testing and promotion of safer vehicles”.
It works in partnership with the following organisations to deliver safety information and ratings to Australian and New Zealand drivers:
ANCAP conducts crash tests on new passenger and light commercial vehicles entering the Australian and New Zealand markets, with each model’s safety levels assessed under identical testing standards and conditions. Using results from these tests, ANCAP publishes safety ratings using a rating system from 1 to 5 stars, with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest.
ANCAP safety ratings take into account the level of protection for drivers, front-seat passengers, and pedestrians involved in the most common types of crashes, as well as the inclusion of safety features and technologies in new vehicles. The ratings are used to compare vehicles in the same category (small car vs small car, large car vs large car, SUV vs SUV, etc.) and are not used to compare vehicles across different categories.
To receive the maximum 5-star ANCAP safety rating, a vehicle must achieve the highest standards in all crash tests and also feature advanced safety assist technologies.
ANCAP uses a number of internationally recognised crash tests and safety assessments carried out by independent specialist laboratories. These tests are designed to mimic the most common real-world crashes, and dummies are used to scientifically measure the forces on occupants and pedestrians when such crashes occur.
New vehicles are put through the following five tests:
In previous years, car safety ratings have focused on passive safety features like airbags and seatbelts. However, recent advances in automotive technology have seen new cars fitted with advanced safety assist technologies that can actively help drivers avoid a collision.
As a result, ANCAP safety ratings also take into account the inclusion of safety equipment and technologies, such as:
In coming years, ANCAP is set to introduce a number of dynamic performance tests for safety technologies including ESC, AEB, Lane Support Systems (LSS) and more.
The higher the ANCAP safety rating, the safer a car is. In fact, research has shown that you have twice the chance of being killed or seriously injured in a 3-star ANCAP safety-rated car compared to a 5-star ANCAP safety-rated car.
But what exactly does each star rating mean for the driver and passenger in the event of a collision? Here is a breakdown of the scoring system based on ANCAP's evaluation criteria and how much a vehicle needs to get to receive five stars.
Evaluation area | What is evaluated | Assessments included and their scores | Maximum possible score | Minimum % to get 5 stars |
---|---|---|---|---|
Adult occupant protection | Protection of adults in front and second row in vehicle crashes. |
| 38 | 80% |
Child occupant protection | Protection of children in back-seat restraints and ability to accommodate restraints. |
| 49 | 80% |
Pedestrian protection | Ability to avoid or mitigate impact to pedestrians/cyclists and minimise injury to struck pedestrians. |
| 48 | 60% |
Safety assist | Presence and effectiveness of safety technologies. |
| 13 (2018/19) 16 (from 2020) | 70% |
Did you know that Finder produces car reviews? You can use our reviews to compare the model you are researching against others in the same category and determine if it is the best fit for you. You can also compare car loan repayments on each of the vehicle grades within the review.
Car Make and Model | Variant | Manufactured Date | Rating |
---|---|---|---|
Mazda MX-30 | All variants | Mar 2021 - onwards | 5 |
Mitsubishi Express | All variants | Jun 2020 - onwards | 0 |
Land Rover Defender | All variants | Aug 2020 - onwards | 5 |
Kia Sorento | Diesel, HEV & PHEV variants | Aug 2020 - onwards | 5 |
Skoda Scala | All variants | Aug 2019 - onwards | 5 |
Skoda Octavia | All variants exc. Scout | Apr 2021 - onwards | 5 |
SEAT Tarraco | New Zealand variants | Jun 2019 - onwards | 5 |
Renault Captur | All variants | Feb 2021 - onwards | 5 |
Nissan Navara | All variants | Dec 2020 - onwards | 5 |
MG ZS EV | All EV variants | Nov 2020 - onwards | 5 |
BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé | All variants | Feb 2020 - onwards | 5 |
Ford Escape | All variants exc. PHEV | Oct 2020 - onwards | 5 |
Audi Q7 | All variants | Apr 2020 - onwards | 5 |
Mazda BT-50 | All variants excluding Thunder | Oct 2020 - onwards | 5 |
Jeep Gladiator | All variants | Jun 2020 - onwards | 3 |
Skoda Kamiq | All variants | Sep 2019 - onwards | 5 |
Ford Puma | All variants | Sep 2020 - onwards | 5 |
Toyota Yaris | All variants (exc. Yaris Cross) | Aug 2020 - onwards | 5 |
Isuzu D-Max | All variants | Sep 2020 - onwards | 5 |
Mercedes-Benz GLB | GLB 200 & GLB 250 variants | Jun 2020 - onwards | 5 |
Nissan Juke | All variants | Jun 2020 - onwards | 5 |
Audi e-tron | All variants | Jul 2019 - onwards | 5 |
Volkswagen T-Cross | All variants | Apr 2020 - onwards | 5 |
Mazda CX-30 | All variants | Feb 2020 - onwards | 5 |
Ford Transit Custom | All Australian MY19 & New Zealand MY18.5 variants | Sep 2019 - onwards | 5 |
Kia Seltos | All variants | Oct 2019 - onwards | 5 |
Jeep Wrangler | All variants | Nov 2019 - onwards | 3 |
Volkswagen Golf | All Golf 8 variants | Jan 2021 - onwards | 5 |
MG HS | All petrol variants (PHEV variants unrated) | Dec 2019 - onwards | 5 |
Audi A7 | All variants excluding RS7 | Oct 2018 - onwards | 5 |
Audi Q8 | All variants excluding SQ8 | Feb 2019 - onwards | 5 |
Tesla Model X | All variants | Dec 2019 - onwards | 5 |
Hyundai Venue | All variants | Sep 2019 - onwards | 4 |
Peugeot Partner | All variants | Aug 2019 - onwards | 4 |
BMW 1 Series | All variants | Oct 2019 - onwards | 5 |
Hyundai Nexo | All variants | Apr 2019 - onwards | 5 |
Mercedes-Benz EQC | All variants | Nov 2019 - onwards | 5 |
Toyota Corolla | All sedan variants | Nov 2019 - onwards | 5 |
Audi A1 | All variants | Nov 2019 - onwards | 5 |
Toyota Granvia | All variants | Oct 2019 - onwards | 5 |
Audi Q3 | All variants except RS Q3 | Oct 2019 - onwards | 5 |
Ssangyong Korando | All variants | Oct 2019 - onwards | 5 |
BMW 3 Series | 2.0L variants | Mar 2019 - onwards | 5 |
Volvo V60 | T5 variants only | Aug 2019 - onwards | 5 |
Volvo S60 | T5 variants only | Aug 2019 - onwards | 5 |
Toyota Fortuner | All variants | Oct 2019 - onwards | 5 |
Ford Focus | All variants | Aug 2019 - onwards | 5 |
Peugeot 508 | All variants | Feb 2019 - onwards | 5 |
Citroen C5 Aircross | All variants | Jul 2019 - onwards | 4 |
Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class | All variants except AMG CLA35 | Jul 2019 - onwards | 5 |
Mercedes-Benz B-Class | All variants | May 2019 - onwards | 5 |
Audi A6 | All variants including S6 | Aug 2019 - onwards | 5 |
Tesla Model 3 | All variants | Aug 2019 - onwards | 5 |
Toyota Hilux | All variants (see Technical Report) | Jul 2019 - onwards | 5 |
Mercedes-Benz G-Class | G63 and G400d variants only | Aug 2018 - onwards | 5 |
Mercedes-Benz GLE | All variants | Jun 2019 - onwards | 5 |
Nissan Leaf | All variants | Jul 2019 - onwards | 5 |
Toyota Hiace | All van & crew van variants | May 2019 - onwards | 5 |
Mazda 3 | All variants | Apr 2019 - onwards | 5 |
Volkswagen Touareg | All variants | May 2019 - onwards | 5 |
Lexus UX | All variants | Nov 2018 - onwards | 5 |
Toyota RAV4 | All variants | May 2019 - onwards | 5 |
Land Rover Range Rover Evoque | All variants | Jun 2019 - onwards | 5 |
Subaru Forester | All variants | Sep 2018 - onwards | 5 |
Suzuki Jimny | All variants | Jan 2019 - onwards | 3 |
Kia Cerato | S & Sport variants only | May 2018 - onwards | 4 |
Kia Cerato | All variants except Cerato S & Cerato Sport | May 2018 - onwards | 5 |
Ssangyong Tivoli / Tivoli XLV | 2WD variants only | Dec 2018 - onwards | 4 |
BMW X4 | xDrive20d & xDrive30i | Sep 2018 - onwards | 5 |
Skoda Karoq | All variants | Oct 2018 - onwards | 5 |
Volkswagen T-Roc | All variants | Oct 2018 - onwards | 5 |
Hyundai Ioniq | All variants | Oct 2018 - onwards | 5 |
BMW X5 | 3.0L diesel variants only | Dec 2018 - onwards | 5 |
Jaguar I-PACE | All variants | Dec 2018 - onwards | 5 |
Genesis G70 | All variants | 2018 - onwards | 5 |
Hyundai Santa Fe | All variants | Jul 2018 - onwards | 5 |
Mazda 6 | All variants | Jun 2018 - onwards | 5 |
Lexus ES300h | All variants | Sep 2018 - onwards | 5 |
Mercedes-Benz A-Class | All variants | Aug 2018 - onwards | 5 |
Renault Koleos | 2WD variants only | Jun 2018 - onwards | 5 |
Peugeot 5008 | All variants | Dec 2017 - onwards | 5 |
Toyota Corolla | All hatch variants | Aug 2018 - onwards | 5 |
Mazda CX-8 | All variants | Jul 2018 - onwards | 5 |
Volvo XC40 | AWD variants | Apr 2018 - onwards | 5 |
Ford Mustang | V8 & EcoBoost Fastback (coupe) variants | Dec 2017 - onwards | 3 |
Citroen C3 | All variants | Nov 2017 - onwards | 4 |
Alfa Romeo Giulia | 2.0L petrol & 2.2L diesel variants | Feb 2017 - onwards | 5 |
Alfa Romeo Stelvio | 2.0L petrol & 2.2L diesel variants | Mar 2018 - onwards | 5 |
Kia Stinger | All variants | Apr 2018 - onwards | 5 |
Ford Tourneo Custom | All variants | May 2018 - onwards | 5 |
Toyota Hilux Rugged & Rugged X | Rugged & Rugged X variants | Apr 2018 - onwards | 5 |
BMW X2 | All variants | Feb 2018 - onwards | 5 |
Jaguar E-PACE | All variants | Mar 2018 - onwards | 5 |
Volkswagen Polo | All variants | Feb 2018 - onwards | 5 |
Hyundai i30 | All wagon variants | Jan 2018 - onwards | 5 |
BMW 6 Series GT | 620d and 630i variants | Sep 2017 - onwards | 5 |
Volkswagen Caddy | Australian Trendline short wheelbase (SWB) variants | Jan 2017 - onwards | 4 |
Volkswagen Arteon | All variants | Aug 2017 - onwards | 5 |
Kia Niro | 1.6 litre hybrid & PHEV variants (NZ) | Jan 2018 - onwards | 5 |
LDV D90 | All variants | Nov 2017 - onwards | 5 |
Jeep Compass | All variants | Dec 2017 - onwards | 5 |
Jaguar F-PACE | All variants | Jul 2016 - onwards | 5 |
MG ZS | All variants | Dec 2017 - onwards | 4 |
Hyundai Kona | All variants including Kona Electric | Sep 2017 - onwards | 5 |
Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross | All variants | Dec 2017 - onwards | 5 |
Nissan Qashqai | All variants | Dec 2017 - onwards | 5 |
BMW X3 | xDrive20d & xDrive30i | Nov 2017 - onwards | 5 |
Toyota Camry | All variants | Nov 2017 - onwards | 5 |
Volvo XC60 | D4, D5, T5 and T6 variants | Oct 2017 - onwards | 5 |
Haval H2 | All variants | Oct 2015 - onwards | 5 |
Honda CR-V | All variants | Jul 2017 - onwards | 5 |
LDV T60 | All variants | Aug 2017 - onwards | 5 |
Lexus NX | All variants | Oct 2017 - onwards | 5 |
Lexus CT200h | All variants | Aug 2017 - onwards | 5 |
Land Rover Range Rover Velar | All variants | Sep 2017 - onwards | 5 |
Suzuki Swift | All variants except GL (base) variants | Jun 2017 - onwards | 5 |
Suzuki Swift | GL (base) variants only | Jun 2017 - onwards | 4 |
Kia Rio (inc. Stonic) | All Rio variants & 1.4L MPi Stonic variants | Jan 2017 - onwards | 5 |
Mercedes-Benz C-Class Cabriolet | All 2WD C200 & C300 variants | Oct 2016 - onwards | 5 |
Kia Picanto | All variants | May 2017 - onwards | 4 |
Mazda CX-5 | All variants | Apr 2017 - onwards | 5 |
Hyundai iLOAD | Diesel van variants | Jun 2017 - onwards | 4 |
Peugeot 3008 | All variants | Jul 2017 - onwards | 5 |
LDV G10 | All people mover variants | Jun 2015 - onwards | 3 |
LDV G10 | All van variants | Jun 2015 - onwards | 3 |
Volkswagen Golf | All FWD Golf 7.5 variants (exc. eGolf) | Jul 2017 - onwards | 5 |
Land Rover Discovery | All New Zealand diesel variants (May 2017-onwards) & all Australian diesel variants (Jul 2017-onwards) | May 2017 - onwards | 5 |
Nissan X-Trail | All petrol & 1.6 litre diesel variants | Feb 2017 - onwards | 5 |
Mini Countryman | Cooper D variants only | Mar 2017 - onwards | 5 |
Skoda Kodiaq | 4x4 variants | Jun 2017 - onwards | 5 |
Audi Q5 | Q5 and SQ5 variants (exc. Sportback) | Jun 2017 - onwards | 5 |
Audi Q2 | All variants excluding SQ2 | Feb 2017 - onwards | 5 |
Subaru XV | All variants | May 2017 - onwards | 5 |
Isuzu MU-X | All variants | Apr 2017 - onwards | 5 |
Honda Civic | All hatch variants except Type R | May 2017 - onwards | 5 |
Honda Civic | All sedan variants | Jul 2016 - onwards | 5 |
Great Wall Motors Steed | 4x2 petrol dual cab variants only | Sep 2016 - onwards | 2 |
Mercedes-Benz Marco Polo Activity | All variants | Jan 2017 - onwards | 5 |
BMW 5 Series | 520d only | Mar 2017 - onwards | 5 |
Toyota Kluger / Highlander | All variants | Nov 2016 - onwards | 5 |
Hyundai i30 | All hatch variants (exc. i30N) | Apr 2017 - onwards | 5 |
Audi A5 | Coupe & Sportback variants | Mar 2017 - onwards | 5 |
Toyota C-HR | All variants | Dec 2016 - onwards | 5 |
Toyota Avensis | All New Zealand variants | Nov 2016 - onwards | 5 |
Fiat 500X | All variants | Jul 2016 - onwards | 5 |
Mercedes-Benz E-Class | All variants (exc. E 350 hybrid) | Jul 2016 - onwards | 5 |
Subaru Impreza | All variants | Nov 2016 - onwards | 5 |
Lexus IS | All variants | Oct 2016 - onwards | 5 |
Mitsubishi ASX | All variants | Nov 2016 - onwards | 5 |
Toyota Prius | All variants | Nov 2015 - onwards | 5 |
Toyota Landcruiser Cab Chassis | 70 Series single cab chassis variants | Sep 2016 - onwards | 5 |
Volkswagen Tiguan | All variants including Allspace | Sep 2016 - onwards | 5 |
BMW X1 | All variants | Oct 2015 - onwards | 5 |
Jeep Renegade | All front-wheel-drive variants | May 2016 - onwards | 5 |
Suzuki Vitara | All variants | 2015 - onwards | 5 |
Kia Optima | All variants | Nov 2015 - onwards | 5 |
Mazda CX-9 | All variants | Jul 2016 - onwards | 5 |
Mazda MX-5 | All variants | Sep 2015 - onwards | 5 |
Haval H9 | All variants | Oct 2015 - onwards | 4 |
Subaru Levorg | All variants | Jun 2016 - onwards | 5 |
Mercedes-Benz Valente | All variants | Jul 2015 - onwards | 5 |
Mercedes-Benz V-Class | All variants | Jul 2015 - onwards | 5 |
Mercedes-Benz Vito | All van & crewcab variants with side head-protecting airbags (curtains) | Jul 2015 - onwards | 5 |
Jaguar XF | All variants | Feb 2016 - onwards | 5 |
Skoda Superb | All variants | 2016 - onwards | 5 |
Kia Sportage | All variants | 2016 - onwards | 5 |
Audi A4 | All variants with 4 cylinder engines | Oct 2015 - onwards | 5 |
Jaguar XE | All variants | Aug 2015 - onwards | 5 |
Mercedes-Benz GLC | All variants | 2015 - onwards | 5 |
Lexus RX | All variants | Oct 2015 - onwards | 5 |
Hyundai Tucson | All variants | Nov 2015 - onwards | 5 |
Mitsubishi Pajero Sport | All variants | Oct 2015 - onwards | 5 |
Honda HR-V | All variants | 2015 - onwards | 5 |
Volvo XC90 | Diesel variants only | Sep 2015 - onwards | 5 |
Volkswagen Passat | All Australian variants | Oct 2015 - onwards | 5 |
Toyota Landcruiser | All variants | Aug 2015 - onwards | 5 |
Ford Everest | All variants | Oct 2015 - onwards | 5 |
Volkswagen Passat | All New Zealand variants | Oct 2015 - onwards | 5 |
Ford Ranger | All variants | Sep 2015 - onwards | 5 |
Mazda CX-3 | All variants | 2015 - onwards | 5 |
Mazda 2 | All variants (hatch and sedan) | Nov 2014 - onwards | 5 |
LDV V80 | Short wheelbase, low roof variants with ESC | Sep 2015 - onwards | 3 |
Jeep Grand Cherokee | V6 variants | Mar 2013 - onwards | 5 |
Skoda Fabia | 5 door hatch & wagon variants | Jul 2015 - onwards | 5 |
Mitsubishi Outlander | All variants | Apr 2015 - onwards | 5 |
Mitsubishi Triton | All variants | Apr 2015 - onwards | 5 |
Tesla Model S | All variants built from 22 September 2014 | Sep 2014 - onwards | 5 |
Mini Cooper | 3 door hatch | Apr 2014 - onwards | 4 |
BMW i3 | All variants | 2014 - onwards | 5 |
Land Rover Discovery Sport | All variants | 2015 - onwards | 5 |
Toyota Prius V | All variants | 2012 - onwards | 5 |
Suzuki Celerio | All variants | 2015 - onwards | 4 |
Subaru Liberty / Legacy | All variants | Jan 2015 - onwards | 5 |
Peugeot 308 | Diesel variants only | Oct 2014 - onwards | 5 |
Tata Xenon | All dual cab variants with ESC | Jun 2014 - onwards | 4 |
Maserati Ghibli | All variants | 2014 - onwards | 5 |
Mercedes-Benz C-Class | C220 BlueTEC, C250 BlueTEC, C200, and C250 variants | Jul 2014 - onwards | 5 |
Mitsubishi Mirage | All variants | 2013 - onwards | 5 |
Nissan Pathfinder | All variants | Oct 2013 - onwards | 5 |
Jeep Cherokee | All variants with 4 cylinder engines | 2014 - onwards | 5 |
Honda Odyssey | All variants | 2014 - onwards | 5 |
Toyota Prado | All variants | Aug 2013 - onwards | 5 |
Skoda Rapid | 4 cylinder petrol engine variants | 2014 - onwards | 5 |
Subaru WRX | All variants | 2014 - onwards | 5 |
Suzuki SX4 S-Cross | Petrol front-wheel-drive variants | Dec 2013 - onwards | 5 |
Audi A3 | All variants | May 2013 - onwards | 5 |
Toyota 86 | All variants | 2012 - onwards | 5 |
Land Rover Range Rover | TDV6 variants only | 2013 - onwards | 5 |
Mitsubishi Pajero | All variants | Apr 2013 - onwards | 5 |
Foton Tunland | All 4x4 dual cab variants | 2012 - onwards | 3 |
Subaru BRZ | All variants | 2012 - onwards | 5 |
Mahindra XUV500 | AWD variants | 2012 - onwards | 4 |
Mahindra Pik-Up | All 4x4 dual cab variants | Jan 2012 - onwards | 3 |
Renault Kangoo | Variants with dual frontal airbags | 2011 - onwards | 4 |
Volkswagen Amarok | New Zealand 2.0L diesel 4x4 dual cab without head-protecting side airbags | 2011 - onwards | 4 |
Volkswagen Amarok | 2.0L diesel 4x4 dual cab with head-protecting side airbags | 2011 - onwards | 5 |
Alfa Romeo Giulietta | Variant(s) as tested | 2011 - onwards | 5 |
Hyundai iMax | Petrol and diesel variants | Mar 2009 - onwards | 4 |
Fiat 500 | Pop 3 door hatch with ESC | Jul 2007 - onwards | 5 |
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