Toyota Hilux receives a renewed 2019 five-star ANCAP safety rating

Toyota Hilux has become the first ute in Australia to achieve a five-star safety rating for the year 2019, followed by a fresh round of tests counter to more stringent criteria. The rating is a refurbish to its previous five-star score from the year 2015. It has put a spotlight on opponent utes with aged ratings that could baffle consumers who are not aware of the fact that not all five-star scores are generated equally. Most of the best-selling utes in Australia comes with five-star safety ratings. But some date back to 2011 when the norms were easier to earn than it is today. The next top-selling utes, Mitsubishi Triton and Ford Ranger, have five-star scores from 2015. 

Mazda BT-50 and Volkswagen Amarok also have five-star ratings from 2011, even though they would not gain the same score if tested according to today’s norms which, at a minimum, now needs autonomous emergency braking and other advanced safety features. Isuzu D-Max is still permitted to advertise a five-star result received in 2013 and Holden Colorado rating is from 2016. Both of these utes fall short of advanced safety features that are now available on the Hilux, Triton, and Ranger. Five-star safety ratings are only valid for six years, following current protocols introduced in 2018. Date stamp expiry was not on the spot when the 2011 cars achieved their five-star ratings. It also refers that Toyota does not require to update Hilux and can survive with its five-star safety rating until 2025 when the upcoming generation is likely anticipated. 

While the safety tests are carried out independently, the fresh assessment program was sponsored by Toyota, although the cars were selected randomly.  James Goodwin, ANCAP Chief Executive, said: “While already a five-star vehicle, it is encouraging Toyota is the first to put forward a vehicle with improved safety specification to undergo re-testing against the current, more stringent ANCAP criteria to update its rating date stamp.”