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Check out the latest edition of the ANCAPStar. This edition contains the latest ANCAP safety ratings and news from the Australasian New Car Assessment Program.
ANCAP is Australasia's leading independent vehicle safety advocate. ANCAP provides consumers with transparent information on the level of occupant and pedestrian protection and collision avoidance capabilities provided by different vehicle models in the most common types of crashes through its safety rating program.
Our member organisations include all Australian automobile clubs, the New Zealand Automobile Association, Australian Federal, State & Territory Governments, the New Zealand Government, the Victorian Transport Accident Commission, NRMA Insurance and the FIA Foundation (UK).
Meet all of our member organisations.
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Consumers to Benefit from Higher Safety Standards.
From 1 January 2015, the criteria against which new cars will be assessed will again rise for all star rating levels, meaning even safer cars for consumers.
Increasing ANCAP standards and a comprehensive development and expansion path in partnership with Euro NCAP will see even higher levels of safety in cars from 2015.
ANCAP's Rating Road Map has introduced annual increases to each star rating since its implementation in 2011. The Road Map will see further increases to each star rating up to and including 2017. In parallel, ANCAP will enter a transition phase from 2015 as it moves to more closely align its tests, protocols and calculation method with those of its sister organisation, Euro NCAP.
For 15 years ANCAP has been able to produce half its ratings from test data sourced from Euro NCAP. This has been invaluable to consumers and over time this value will grow.
"Improvements in vehicle safety design and development in the past few years have been swift and substantial - particularly in the realm of advanced safety assist collision avoidance technologies - and test programs the world over are adjusting their plans to match pace," said ANCAP Chief Executive Officer, Mr Nicholas Clarke.
"The ANCAP Rating Road Map already takes some of these changes and advancements into account however given the rapid pace at which vehicle safety is moving, and the need for new car assessment programs (NCAPs) to acknowledge these advancements, ANCAP has revised and expanded its forward plan," said Mr Clarke.
Throughout the transition period (2015-2017), ANCAP will either its own or Euro NCAP policies and protocols to determine ANCAP safety ratings. This will ensure that consumers get access to the latest safety assist technology (SAT) without delay. Performance testing of SATs covering autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane support systems (LSS), speed assistance systems (SAS) and electronic stability control (ESC) will be introduced and the range of physical crash tests will broaden. By 2018 ANCAP and Euro NCAP policies and protocols will be largely aligned.
"This is an important step in the evolution of ANCAP and NCAPs worldwide as we work together to share knowledge, data and expertise; and encourage manufacturers to develop cars for a global market," Mr Clarke concluded.
Further information on ANCAP's future direction can be found at ancap.com.au/future-requirements.
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Season's Greetings from ANCAP.
As many of us take to the roads this festive season - to visit loved ones and friends and share in the spirit of Christmas - we urge you all to make sure your journey is a safe one. Plan your journey, check your car is well maintained, take regular rest breaks and drive to the conditions.
The ANCAP team wishes you a safe and happy festive season.
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Latest Media Releases.
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11 December 2014
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2015 Subaru Outback and Subaru Liberty score 5 stars
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ANCAP safety ratings were today announced for the new Subaru Outback and Subaru Liberty / Legacy. Both models, on sale in January 2015, scored the maximum 5 star ANCAP safety rating. These 5 star ANCAP safety ratings apply to all Outback and Liberty / Liberty variants.
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5 November 2014
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Zero stars for Indian-sold Datsun Go and Maruti Suzuki Swift
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Global NCAP, the overarching consumer vehicle safety testing organisation, has today revealed zero star safety ratings for the Indian-sold Datsun Go and Maruti Suzuki Swift. These ratings were announced in Delhi, India, at the launch of the latest New Car Assessment Program, Bharat New Car Assessment Program (Bharat NCAP).
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Inaugural gathering of the Parliamentary Friends of Road Safety.
Following the formation of the Parliamentary Friends of Road Safety (PFRS) earlier this year, the ANCAP Board of Directors together with the PFRS convenors, Hon. Darren Chester MP and Senator Alex Gallacher, hosted the group at Parliament House on 24 September 2014.
"It was heartening to see so many key members of our Parliament - from both Houses - attend and engage in the important discussion of road safety," said ANCAP Chairman, Mr Lauchlan McIntosh.
"We so often quote the number of lives lost on our roads but very rarely do we all come together in a bipartisan effort to consider the problem and the steps we can take to reduce road trauma across the country."
"In raw numbers, Australia's road trauma rate is reducing but we are falling behind. There is still plenty we can do. We need scale, collaboration and leadership. In this connection, I encourage you to make road safety a more commonly spoken about issue in Federal Parliament. We must all work together on becoming road safety champions with the vision that no one should die or be injured unnecessarily on our roads," added Mr McIntosh.
In formally launching the PFRS, Senator Gallacher said two areas of focus for the group would be autonomous emergency braking (AEB) - a safety assist technology already available which can prevent or minimise the impact of a crash; and heavy vehicle safety - introducing mandatory braking and stability systems such as electronic stability control (ESC).
Darren Chester remarked on the extensive work done by ANCAP, particularly in recent years, in raising the profile of the need for safer vehicles and in encouraging manufacturers to bring safer cars to our shores.
The PFRS now has 44 members and ANCAP is calling on each of these members to become road safety champions - the ultimate goal being to eliminate road trauma.
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Zero stars for the Latin American-sold Lifan 320.
The Latin American New Car Assessment Program (Latin NCAP) has announced another alarming result this month, publishing a zero star safety rating for the Lifan 320.
The base model, non-airbag variant of the Lifan 320 - sold in the Latin America and Caribbean market - underwent a frontal offset crash test at 64km/h. As a result, high injury measurements were recorded for the driver's head and chest; its structure was rated as unstable; and the steering wheel detached during the test. The inclusion of airbags is therefore unlikely to improve its safety score.
The Lifan 320 is one of three cars in the latest round of Latin NCAP testing to score zero stars in the area of adult occupant protection.
These extremely poor results follow close behind the zero star safety ratings announced last month for the Indian-sold Datsun Go and Suzuki Maruti Swift. This brings the tally of zero star rated cars to 15:
| Make / Model |
Airbags |
Market sold |
| Chevrolet Agile |
None |
Latin America & the Caribbean |
| Chevrolet Spark |
None |
Latin America & the Caribbean |
| Datsun Go |
None |
India |
| Fiat New Palio |
None |
Latin America & the Caribbean |
| Ford Figo |
None |
India |
| Geely CK 1 |
None |
Latin America & the Caribbean |
| Hyundai i10 |
None |
India |
| Lifan 320 |
None |
Latin America & the Caribbean |
| Nissan Tsuru / Sentra B13 |
None |
Latin America & the Caribbean |
| Renault Clio Mio |
None |
Latin America & the Caribbean |
| Suzuki Alto K10 |
None |
Latin America & the Caribbean |
| Suzuki Maruti Alto 800 |
None |
India |
| Suzuki Maruti Swift |
None |
India |
| Tata Nano |
None |
India |
| Volkswagen Polo |
None |
India |
"While these inferior, unsafe models are not sold in Australia, there is no justification as to why they are available to those in other markets," said ANCAP Chief Executive Officer, Nicholas Clarke.
"We are beginning to see improvements in vehicle safety in emerging markets as a result of NCAP programs recently established in these regions. The list of zero star cars is evidence however that global manufacturers continue to produce cars which would fail to pass the United Nations' minimum crash test standards." Mr Clarke added.
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1 star cars still being sold in New Zealand.
ANCAP is often asked by consumers: Which models have scored just a 1 star ANCAP safety rating? The two most recent 1 star cars rated by ANCAP are the Proton Jumbuck and the Mitsubishi Express / L300 van. The structures of both collapsed on impact during the 64km/h frontal offset test, resulting in a high risk of life-threatening head injury. In addition, neither are equipped with airbags or electronic stability control (ESC).
When fielding the above question in Australia, ANCAP is now able to say that these 1 star vehicles are no longer on sale - the answer is however different in New Zealand.
Alarmingly, the Mitsubishi L300 (sold as the Express in Australia) is still on sale in New Zealand with 640 units sold from 1 January to 31 October 2014.
"Vehicle safety has improved exponentially in the past decade and it is unfathomable to think that a major global manufacturer is still selling such an unsafe vehicle in any country," said ANCAP Chief Executive, Mr Nicholas Clarke.
Mitsubishi withdrew the Express / L300 from the Australian market last year following the introduction of the Australian Government's mandatory requirement for ESC in all new cars sold.
"What ANCAP wants to know is why hasn't Mitsubishi also withdrawn it from the New Zealand market?", Mr Clarke questioned.
"The Mitsubishi L300 is often bought by tradesman and other commercial users who spend a lot of time on the road. Their lives should not be put at risk when they head off to work each day."
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SAT Explained: Pre-Crash Systems.
Pre-crash systems are a safety assist technology (SAT) which detect that a collision is imminent and prepare the vehicle and occupants for impact in a fraction of a second.
The best levels of crash protection are achieved when the interaction between occupants and the vehicle's restraint systems are optimised (to cater for occupants of different shapes, sizes and weights). This ensures that the occupants' movement on impact is controlled so that the restraint systems work most effectively.
The actions undertaken by pre-crash systems vary from make to make, but typically, pre-crash systems can act to reduce the slack in seat belts (activating seat belt pre-tensioners), adjust seating positions and close windows (to avoid ejection). A
re-crash systems are able to predict a collision through either the dynamics of the vehicle and/or actions of the driver whereby the system detects an unusual reaction (for example a steering wheel jerk or heavy braking). Radar or sensors fitted to the car may also activate a vehicle's pre-crash system if an obstacle in the vehicle's path is detected.
A number of vehicles recently rated by ANCAP which feature pre-crash systems - these include the:
Hyundai Genesis (November 2014 - onward)
Mercedes-Benz C-Class (July 2014 - onward)
Image: Hyundai
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The focus of vehicle safety has shifted...
ANCAP's general information brochure has been updated. Previously titled Accept Nothing Less, its title has been revised to reflect the changing focus of vehicle safety: The focus of vehicle safety has shifted.
The brochure once again features detail on each of the core tests conducted by ANCAP as well as diagrams depicting the likely injury risk categorised by star rating. New features include a timeline of ANCAP's evolution; an overview of ANCAP's future direction as it transitions to closer alignment with Euro NCAP; and the safety rating requirements vehicles must meet for each star rating level through until 2017.
This latest publication can be viewed along with other ANCAP publications within the Media & Gallery page on the ANCAP website. Hard copies of the booklet are also available on request. Please email ancap@ancap.com.au for more information.
To view the range of ANCAP publications and promotional items, click here.
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3rd Global NCAP Annual Meeting.
The annual gathering bringing together key representatives from each of the nine New Car Assessment Programs (NCAPs) was hosted by China NCAP in Tianjin, China at the end of October 2014.
The Global NCAP Annual Meeting, Board of Trustees, Advisory Council and parallel Technical Working Group and Communications Working Group meetings were held during 27-30 October - attended by senior representatives from Euro NCAP (EU27), ANCAP, (Australia & New Zealand), NHTSA (United States), IIHS (United States), JNCAP (Japan), KNCAP (Korea) C-NCAP (China), ASEAN NCAP (Southeast Asian Nations) and Latin NCAP (Latin America & the Caribbean), together with global road safety ambassador, His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent.
In his update to those assembled, Global NCAP Secretary-General Mr David Ward remarked on the significant progress achieved by both the Latin NCAP and ASEAN NCAP programs in the very short time they have been in existence, "These two new programs continue to go from strength to strength with five star results being achieved far faster than we ever expected," said Mr Ward.
Mr Ward also reported that Global NCAP was on track to fulfilling its goal to have NCAPs in all world regions - a feat declared in a resolution made by the United Nations in April - with confirmation of the establishment of an Indian-based NCAP, Bharat NCAP.
ANCAP Chairman & Global NCAP Trustee, Mr Lauchlan McIntosh chaired an industry dialogue meeting with presentations provided by each NCAP to automotive and road safety industry representatives from China and across the globe. In opening the dialogue, Mr McIntosh declared, "Safety should no longer be a premium product. It must apply to low cost [all] vehicles - available to ordinary people, all over the world," encouraging manufacturers to build the same levels of safety into all new cars in all world regions.
As has occurred at each previous Global NCAP Annual Meeting, a Declaration was adopted in Tianjin promoting electronic stability control. The Declaration recommends that:
- all UN Member states adopt legislation to mandate ESC in new models by 2018 and all models in production by 2020;
- manufacturers increase the availability of ESC as standard across their range in global markets;
- governments and the insurance industry consider incentives to encourage the fitting of ESC; and
- fleet managers and car rental operators make their best endeavours to only purchase vehicles that are equipped with ESC.
As part of the program of events, NCAP representatives were provided with a tour of the China Automotive Technology and Research Center (CATARC) - a purpose built facility which carries out comprehensive safety and emissions design, development and testing. More information about CATARC can be found here.
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You asked us...
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I purchased a new car before the birth of my first child and based my decision on the fact that it had a 5 star ANCAP safety rating. As more and more vehicles achieve 5 star ratings, is it not time for your standards to be raised?
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Our expert said...
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It is great to hear a 5 star ANCAP safety rating was your top priority when buying your new family car. As you say, there are now many vehicles available - across all categories (small, medium, large, utes, SUVs etc.) - which have been awarded the maximum 5 star ANCAP safety rating.
To ensure consumers are provided with the safest vehicles possible, ANCAP has progressively been raising the bar - increasing the safety requirements needed for each safety rating level (1-5 stars) each year. ANCAP's future test requirements can be viewed
here.
In addition, to help make it easier for consumers to identify the "Rating Year" against which a vehicle has been assessed, ANCAP has recently added a datestamp element (i.e. "Tested 2014") to each of its rating logos. Consumers should look for the rating year datestamp when making their next purchase to ensure they're buying a car which meets the latest safety requirements.
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You asked us...
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I would like to buy a brand new family car with seven seats. Can you please provide some advice about safer car choices and the latest safety technologies, like emergency braking?
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Our expert said...
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The first thing you should look for when buying a new car is one which has been awarded a 5 star ANCAP safety rating. Vehicles which hold this 5 star ANCAP safety rating have performed well in each of ANCAP's crash tests, offering a high level of occupant protection in both front and side impact crashes, as well as whiplash protection from rear-end collisions, and has a "pedestrian friendly" design offering greater protection to pedestrians if struck by that vehicle. Further to this, vehicles which hold a 5 star ANCAP safety rating are also fitted with life-saving safety features such as head-protecting side curtain airbags and electronic stability control (ESC).
For vehicles fitted with third row seating positions, you should look for those fitted with side curtain airbags that extend to provide protection to the third row occupants. This information can be found in the ANCAP technical report published for each vehicle rated by ANCAP. These reports can be viewed by clicking on the "Full Technical Report" link which is located within the grey box on the right hand side of each individual crash test results page on the ANCAP website.
In addition to the ANCAP 5 star rating, ANCAP also recommends several other advanced safety assist technologies (SAT), in particular autonomous emergency braking (AEB). AEB systems use sensors to detect obstructions in the vehicle's path and automatically apply the brakes if the driver does not respond, in order to avoid, or minimise the impact of, a crash. Such advanced active safety systems have the potential to significantly improve vehicle safety.
More information on vehicle safety features can be found at Understanding Safety Features.
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