Following a range of active safety upgrades for the 2019 Toyota HiLux, ANCAP has upgraded its 5-star rating to include a 2019 stamp.

With ANCAP assessing vehicles via more stringent criteria (read: must have autonomous emergency braking to be elegible for five stars in 2019), Toyota’s recent active safety upgrade of the HiLux has seen ANCAP award it a 5-star rating for 2019.

The updated 2019 Toyota HiLux will arrive here over the coming months with the regular best-seller copping a range-wide active safety upgrade via the Toyota Safety Sense driver assistance pack.

All updated models will gain a pre-collision safety system (autonomous emergency braking) with day and night pedestrian detection and day cyclist detection, high-speed active cruise control (operational above 40km/h), lane departure alert with steering assistance (via braking) and road sign assist. ANCAP has assessed the performance of these features, it said.

Announcing its upgraded 5-star rating for HiLux, ANCAP boss, James Goodwin said, “This is certainly an important move for Toyota customers, the segment, and more broadly, the market.

“Significant upgrades have been introduced to the updated Hilux to enhance occupant protection and prevent collisions with other road users.”

“While already a 5-star vehicle, it is encouraging Toyota Motor Corporation Australia is the first to put forward a vehicle with improved safety specification to undergo re-testing against current, more stringent ANCAP criteria in order to update its rating datestamp,” he said.

 “The standard inclusion of these advanced driver assistance systems across the Hilux range is a welcome move and one which will make this model even more appealing to private and fleet buyers with many fleets insisting on 5 star rated vehicles with a ‘TESTED’ datestamp of no older than three years,” Mr Goodwin added.