Furor Erupts Over ANCAP Axing Older 5 Star Safety Ratings

From 2018, ANCAP safety ratings carried validity for a period of 6 years. Recently, the 6-year rating validity was extended to vehicles tested prior to 2018.

ANCAP, Australia’s government funded testing organisation, and its European twin, EuroNCAP, now share ratings. A vehicle tested here will share a rating in Europe, and vice versa.

First, a bit of background:

Let’s calm-the-farm, all is not as it seems. The 6 year safety rating came in to being in 2018, as the Euro testing regime aligned with the Australian ANCAP criteria. The intention was that ratings could give buyers a clear and current snapshot of the Australia market during their decision-making process.

ANCAP has begun a process to clean up older ratings, and Volkswagen’s Passat has been one vehicle to have the 6-year expiration applied. As of 2023, it will have no current safety rating. It is one of a long list of vehicles that may be affected. Prior to this, safety ratings did not expire, and it was up to buyers to interpret how a 15 year old level of safety would rate now.

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Under the newly instigated regime,

Ratings datestamp of 2015 or earlier will expire as at 31 December 2022
Ratings datestamp of 2016 will expire as at 31 December 2023
Ratings datestamp of 2017 will expire as at 31 December 2024

Here is a list of potential models to be affected:

Toyota Prado
Mitsubishi Triton
Mitsubishi Pajero Sport
Nissan Navara
Mitsubishi ASX
Mazda CX-3
Mazda 2
Suzuki Vitara
Alfa Romeo Guilietta
BMW i3
Fiat 500
LDV G10
LDV V80
Mini Cooper
Suzuki SX-4 S-Cross
VW Amarok
VW Passat
Jeep Cherokee
Mazda CX-9
Mazda MX-5
70 Series Toyota Landcruiser cab chassis
Hyundai i30
Jeep Compass
Kia Rio
LDV D90
LDV T60
MG ZS
Suzuki Swift

Some of these models are due for replacement, with new models being tested under the 2022-25 criteria. By the end of this process, there will be no valid ANCAP/EuroNCAP ratings older than 6 years.

Two questions emerge:

Does the expiration of a rating make the car unsafe? And, is a 6-year rating fair to car makers?

First, a rating that expires does not make the car less safe. However, if that car were to be tested under current ANCAP/EuroNCAP criteria, it may or may not be awarded a 5-star rating.

Some car makers have very strong views on the matter. Paul Pottinger, Volkswagen’s group GM of Corporate Communications said, “No-one doubts the efficacy of reviewing older models and the brand does not argue with expiry of ratings on older vehicles. But to diminish the Passat for becoming demonstrably safer is not only inconsistent with ANCAP’s stated purpose, it amounts to misinforming the public.”

Passat will be as safe in 2023 as it was in 2020 and like many vehicles on the list, has been updated in equipment and safety since their initial assessment. We’ve reviewed Passat many times, read about it HERE HERE and HEREv.

Is the 6-year rating fair to car makers? That is a difficult question to answer, so it is probably more relevant to ask if it is fair to new car buyers. That is an easier question to answer: it gives buyers the knowledge that their protentional purchase has a rating no older than 6 years.

Important considerations:

1: Passat is not the only current model whose rating is about to expire. Some models are more than 12 years old. Some of those have been retested, and others have not.

2: Fleet buyers generally require a 5-star rating no older than 3 years, putting many currently rated vehicles out of consideration.

3: Passat’s EuroNCAP rating expired last year in the European market.

4: A safety rating is not an opinion, it is a test against a strict set of “pillars” which all vehicles tested will be rated. Tests change slightly from year to year, and criteria are updated every 2 years as new technology emerges.

5: ANCAP is government funded, and conducts tests independent of the auto makers.

6: All car makers were involved in the consultation process and should have been aware the new regime was imminent.

The next criterion to be added will be to Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB). As from next year, AEB must detect motorcyclists, a surprise to riders who like me, assumed that was already the case. It doesn’t mean current AEB does not detect motorcyclists, it simply means the test has not yet been carried out.

Why is local assessment important to Australian Buyers?

In researching this story, we contacted ANCAP, and several auto brands. Important issues emerged, namely, some of the promised specifications were not present in Australian delivered vehicles.

Among the issues were: a knee and other airbags present in a European car was not installed in Australian models, Child seat tethers differed significantly to European models, Rear seat seatbelt reminders absent. ANCAP ensures safety-related options are fitted, so although the vehicle is not retested, it is thoroughly inspected for compliance.

In those cases, ANCAP would not have been able to award a 5-Star rating in line with EuroNCAP. The ratings align ONLY IF THE SPECIFICATIONS ALIGN. The reasons for those variation may be that European models are made in different factories to those of Australian delivered vehicles. Options are not available across all manufacturing locations, and safety standards are not universal.

Why the change?

Buyers will get a clear snapshot of safety ratings within a defined period. Many buyers are not aware that a car tested as recently as 5 years ago may not achieve the same rating were it to be tested today. A 6-year-old 5-star rating may or may not be a 5-star rating today. One that is 10 or 20 years old would be lucky to be awarded 1 star, such are the improvements in both active and passive safety.

Ratings are generally awarded based on the lowest trim level in the range, but there have been instances of split ratings where entry level models have a 4-star ANCAP rating, and the top model, a 5-star award.

Opinions remains divided, but one thing is certain, if safety is a motivation for buyers, the rating should be as recent as possible to have any relevance.

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