While physically tested by Euro NCAP, the safety organization’s partner in Australia and New Zealand, ANCAP (the Australasian New Car Assessment Program), has released their results for the latest Audi A5, Volvo S90 and Hyundai’s Ioniq and i20.
We’ll remind that you that ANCAP plans to fully align its testing and protocols with EuroNCAP by 2018. The transitioning from a unique Australian standard to a program identical to EuroNCAP started in 2015, with ANCAP using a combination of both European and local standards.
Based on Euro NCAP’s tests of the Audi A4 from late 2015, the new A5 was awarded with a 5-star safety rating, after proving to be reliable in the full width, frontal offset, side impact, pole and whiplash protection.
Moreover, the premium compact car was also positively noted for its safety features that include not just the multitude of airbags, but also the autonomous emergency braking, and a manually-set speed limiter. Additionally, the adaptive cruise control and lane support systems are offered at no extra cost on vehicles sold in New Zealand, but are optional on those delivered to Australia.
The rating applies to both the A5 Coupe and A5 Sportback, while the A5 Cabriolet variants are unrated.
Volvo’s challenger to the likes of the BMW 3-Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class, the S90, was also awarded with top marks by the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP). It too has proved its abilities in the same tests and was praised for its numerous safety gizmos, including autonomous emergency braking, intelligent speed assistants, and lane support systems, all of which are standard.
“The safety specification of S90 models sold locally does however differ to those sold in Europe with no driver knee airbag. Specification of the A5 also differs between Australia and New Zealand with adaptive cruise control and lane support systems provided as standard for New Zealand consumers yet optional for Australians. It is disappointing we continue to see this happen across brands,” said ANCAP Chief Executive Officer, Mr James Goodwin.
The final vehicle of the batch to have been awarded with a 5-star rating is the Hyundai Ioniq, and the results are based, just like with the A5, on tests conducted by Euro NCAP. The eco-friendly car is equipped with a multitude of standard safety features, such as the autonomous emergency raking, adaptive cruise control, and lane support systems.
Introduced in New Zealand last December and not offered in Australia, the Hyundai i20 rounds up ANCAP’s latest list, not with top marks, but with a 4-star safety rating, which is due to it lacking most driver assist equipment, and not necessarily failing in the crashworthiness tests.
PHOTO GALLERY
