ANCAP awards first five-star safety rating under new-for-2023 criteria

The Austalasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) has given the Lexus RZ electric car a five-star safety rating, the first to be issued under the organisation’s new 2023-2025 test criteria.

Announced in July 2022, ANCAP – and its European sister organisation, Euro NCAP – has made it harder for new cars to achieve a five-star result by introducing stricter assessment criteria across its range of crash tests and safety scenarios.

These include how easily occupants can escape from a submerged vehicle, if the car’s safety assistance systems can detect a child pedestrian passing behind it while reversing, and better occupant restraint systems to name a few – more details available at the bottom of this story.

The threshold for receiving a five-star safety rating has also increased in the Vulnerable Road User (pedestrians and cyclists) Protection category, with vehicles now required to score 70 per cent or higher for the top mark – up from 60 per cent. 

The Lexus RZ – available locally in RZ450e Luxury and Sports Luxury grades – received scores of 87 per cent for Adult Occupant Protection, 89 per cent for Child Occupant Protection, 84 per cent for Vulnerable Road User Protection, and 84 per cent for Safety Assist technology.

ANCAP noted the Lexus RZ satisfied its new cyclist anti-dooring requirements, which can not only warn occupants not to open their doors when a cyclist is approaching, but also prevent the door from being opened if necessary.

The organisation also said the RZ performed well in its new lane support and autonomous emergency braking (AEB) scenarios, now including tests with stationary and moving cyclists ahead of the car and to its sides while passing through a junction.

Inside, the electric Lexus’ Adult Occupant Protection score was achieved through a mix of good and adequate results for front and rear seat occupants, though the chests of rear passengers received a weak result.

The Lexus RZ scored full marks in all Child Occupant Protection criteria bar its on-board safety features, losing five points out of 13 available due to it lacking a child presence detection system and ISOFIX anchors for the middle-rear seat.

The Lexus RZ went on sale in March 2023, priced from $123,000 plus on-road costs.

2023-2025 ANCAP criteria changes

Higher points for vehicle-to-vehicle crash compatibility (was four, now eight)Reduced tolerance for front and rear occupant chest injuriesAEB tests now include motorcycle detection (stationary, approaching from behind and from the side through intersections) Cyclist anti-dooring functions now tested to reduce head injuriesIn-cabin systems now tested to detect children left behind in carsAEB reversing towards child detectionCars will be tested to see whether their doors are able to be opened without battery power, and electric windows remain functional and able to be opened for up to 10 minutes after being submergedDriver monitoring systems which detect eye movement now testedVulnerable Road User Protection threshold increased from 60 per cent to 70 per cent for a five-star rating

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