ANCAP has dropped a fresh batch of safety ratings, and this time the story is not carnage so much as a stern marking session with a few raised eyebrows. ANCAP has rated the all-electric Suzuki e VITARA and the new Audi Q3, while also revisiting the Audi A3, Cupra Leon, and Nissan QASHQAI after specification changes and reassessment. The result is a neat reminder that five stars are never a birthright, and four stars are not always a disaster.
The headline acts are theSuzuki e VITARA and Audi Q3 (note: Q3 was INCORRECTLY RATED IN PREVIOUS ARTICLE now deleted. Disregard that post). Suzuki’s new electric small SUV managed a four-star ANCAP rating, with the score constrained by its Adult Occupant Protection result and some less-than-lovely outcomes in the full-width test. Audi’s Q3, by contrast, walked away with five stars under ANCAP’s 2023 to 2025 criteria, posting strong figures across the board. One arrives looking competent with caveats. The other turns up in a properly pressed suit.
Updated ratings were also issued for the Audi A3, Cupra Leon, and Nissan QASHQAI. The A3 and Leon both retain five-star ratings, while the QASHQAI drops to four. That will sting a bit, even if child occupant protection remains one of its better showings. As ever, safety scores have a nasty habit of making cheerful marketing copy look a touch over-moisturised.
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ABOVE: ANCAP crash-test images from the latest batch, showing just how quickly a star rating can turn into a talking point.
The scores that matter
The Audi Q3 delivered the strongest all-round result of the group, with 87% for adult occupant protection, 86% for child occupant protection, 80% for vulnerable road user protection, and 83% for safety assist. That is what a modern five-star result looks like. It is balanced, it is tidy, and it gives ANCAP very little to grumble about.
The Suzuki e VITARA, meanwhile, earned four stars with 77% for adult occupant protection, 87% for child occupant protection, 79% for vulnerable road users, and 71% for safety assist. That is not dreadful by any means, but it does leave a bit of daylight between Suzuki and the full-fat five-star club. ANCAP specifically called out the e VITARA’s adult occupant protection score, along with the lack of a head-protecting centre airbag to reduce injury in side impacts.
Among the updated models, the Audi A3 retains five stars with 86%, 80%, 76%, and 75% across the four key categories. Another VW Group offering, the Cupra Leon, also keeps its five-star badge. Spawned from SEAT, the sporty sub-brand does so rather convincingly, with 88% for adult occupants, 86% for children, 82% for vulnerable road users, and 82% for safety assist.
Surprisingly, the Nissan QASHQAI is the one that slips. It has been reassessed to four stars, with 78% for adult occupant protection, 91% for child occupant protection, 68% for vulnerable road users, and 62% for safety assist. Child protection remains strong, but the rest of the scorecard no longer keeps pace with contemporary five-star expectations. That is the sort of downgrade that tends to sit in the back of a buyer’s mind while they are pretending badges and ambient lighting matter more.
ANCAP April 2026 snapshot
| Model | ANCAP safety rating | Adult occupant protection | Child occupant protection | Vulnerable road user protection | Safety assist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audi A3 | 5 stars | 86% | 80% | 76% | 75% |
| Audi Q3 | 5 stars | 87% | 86% | 80% | 83% |
| Cupra Leon | 5 stars | 88% | 86% | 82% | 82% |
| Nissan QASHQAI | 4 stars | 78% | 91% | 68% | 62% |
| Suzuki e VITARA | 4 stars | 77% | 87% | 79% | 71% |
The GCB take
This batch is less about scandal and more about the brutal arithmetic of modern safety. Audi and Cupra are doing what premium and sub-premium brands ought to do. Nissan has copped a downgrade because the world moved on and the QASHQAI did not move quickly enough. Suzuki deserves some credit for getting the e VITARA to a sound four-star result, but sound is not the same as excellent, and ANCAP has made that perfectly plain.
As Carla Hoorweg pointed out, the bigger message is that higher levels of safety are within reach. The market is proving that five-star performance is possible when brands focus on consistent results across every category, not just the bits easiest to trumpet in a website blurb.
NOTE: AN EARLIER STORY PUBLISHED IN ERROR CONTAINED INCORRECT TEXT AND DATA, MOST NOTABLE AUDI Q3 AT 4 STARS. DISREGARD THAT POST
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Alan Zurvas is the founder and editor of Gay Car Boys, Australia's leading LGBTQI+ automotive publication. Before launching GCB in 2008, Alan's automotive writing was published in SameSame.com.au and the Star Observer. With over 16 years of hands-on car reviewing experience, Alan brings an honest, irreverent voice to every review — championing value and innovation over brand loyalty.
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