Mixed bag from ANCAP for Picanto, CX-5 and C-Class Cabriolet… Koleos waiting for a local score
ANCAP has awarded five-star ratings for the Mazda CX-5 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class but the Kia Picanto has only managed a four-star rating.
ANCAP HAS ANNOUNCED A five-star rating for both the Mazda CX-5 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class but Kia must be feeling a little hard done by after failing to get a full five-star rating for its Kia Picanto. ANCAP has been pushing hard for car makers to import into Australia new cars with autonomous emergency braking with all three vehicles awarded ratings today having AEB as standard fitment on the variants assessed.
Launched onto the market in April this year, the Mazda CX-5 was praised for its AEB performance. “The CX-5 performed well in physical tests and is fitted with a good list of safety features including all three levels of autonomous emergency braking – City, Interurban and Pedestrian,” ANCAP Chief Executive Officer, James Goodwin said.
All CX-5 variants carry a five-star rating.
The Mercedes-Benz C-Class Cabriolet was introduced in Australia and New Zealand in October 2016 and its 5 star ANCAP safety rating applies to all two-wheel-drive C200 and C300 variants. Other variants are unrated.
“The C-Class convertible is a well-equipped model and offers AEB City and AEB Interurban as standard, however in the side impact test, the head of the 10-year-old child dummy contacted the metal frame of the roof and points were deducted from its Child Occupant Protection score,” Mr Goodwin said.
The Kia Picanto tested was introduced earlier this year and only managed a 4 star ANCAP safety rating applies to all Australian-sold variants built from June 2017. The Picanto gets, as standard AEB a mandatory inclusion to be eligible for a five-star rating when ANCAP completes its adoption of EuroNCAP assessment methodology. “It is very encouraging to see an affordable, small car offering AEB City and AEB Interurban as standard, and Kia should be congratulated for taking this initiative.”
But the Picanto lost points in its handling of pedestrian protection which is possibly to be expected in a very small car and its child occupant protection which saw, like it did in the Mercedes-Benz C-Class Cabriolet, the child’s head contact the vehicle’s interior in the side impact test. The local score mirrors the EuroNCAP rating where the safety features standard on Australian cars is a cost-optional extra.
Despite EuroNCAP announcing a five-star rating for the Renault Koleos, ANCAP said it is still sifting through the data to determine if a five-star rating should apply in Australia. It’s likely that it will.
Back in the good old days safety was divided into two. Primary safety and secondary safety. Primary safety relates to the d vehicle’s design and dynamics that assist in crash avoidance.
If the focus shifts to structural strength and its ability to withstand a crash could I be forgiven for assuming that the focus is on secondary safety? And that’s the car’s ability to protect occupants after a crash. If chasing safety stars results in A pillars that block the driver’s view then perhaps the answer is yes.
Compare the mass of a current Corolla to a 1980s VK Commodore to get an idea of increased vehicle mass and some of this is down to safety star chasing.
I am smart enough to know when my seat belt is not on. I prefer it to be OFF when I am reversing as this makes it easier to see over my shoulder. The dopes that set up my current car programmed the seat belt chime to operate even when crawling backwards. I could do without that.
I would prefer a 4 star car if it means that I escape some of the 5 star annoyances. Would I be happy with 2 stars? Probably not. And James Dean proved that on STAR in a Porsche is not a good idea. 😉