Star-less future for some popular models?

ANCAP’s decision to expire dated safety ratings for some vehicles still selling new here rankles the distributors’ advocate organisation.

The most recent ANCAP assessment of the Mitsubishi Triton was in March of 2015.

AT least a dozen new vehicles, among them a one-tonne utility that was an especially popular choice last month, seem likely to be stripped of ratings that show them to be good choices for safety.

The Triton (above), the country’s third-best selling model in February and benefitting from a consumer rush to avoid the impending ute tax, is one of three Mitsubishi vehicles on sale here that appear caught up in a move by the national safety accreditor to expire outdated crash test ratings at the end of this year.

Also snared in an intent to void ratings once they age beyond six years are a SUV version of the Mitsubishi traydeck, the Pajero Sport, and the make’s smallest crossover, the ASX.

The Toyota Prado, Nissan Navara, Mazda CX-3 and Mazda2, Suzuki Vitara and two Volkswagens, the Amarok utility and the Passat car, are cited.

All have five-star safety ratings from the Australasian New Car Assessment programme, decided when such evaluation was to a lower standard than now exists. Triton’s score was delivered in 2015 but others date back to 2011. ASX’s bases on a test conducted in 2010.

 The Australia-based independent crash tester, part-funded by the New Zealand Government, Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency and New Zealand Automobile Association – which often spoke on ANCAP’s behalf here until its previous chief executive in 2019 – is now acting to address this by progressively retiring old scores.

The Motor Industry Association, which represents almost new vehicle distributors is unhappy about ANCAP’s plan.

 However, chief executive David Crawford says, argument his organisation has repeatedly put about the confusions and inequalities it believes exists with rating standards in NZ – which are made all the more complex by this country accepting used imports – have always been ignored.

The ASX is the oldest car Mitsubishi still sells here. Its ANCAP rating is based on a 2010 assessment.

The outcome, however, is that some of those five star models might have to suffer the stigma of going without an ANCAP score for perhaps just a few months; as replacements are already coming. Others, though, might have to carry the weight for longer periods, perhaps several years in respect to one.

ANCAP scores carry priority recognition with regulators, safety agencies and for distributors here. Makers are voluntary participants in the tests, which have become increasingly expensive, with each involving up to six examples of any vehicle.

The status of the ANCAP outcome as the default car safety benchmark is helped by it having aligned with European NCAP, considered the world-leading crash test assessor.

ANCAP’s relevance has also nonetheless been questioned. When it kicked off it was testing Australia-made Holden, Ford, Toyota and Mitsubishi cars specifically relevant to this part of the world. That obviously is no longer a consideration. Often, now, ANCAP ratings are based on outcomes of Euro NCAP tests. While many new vehicles sold here are in common usage on both sides of the Tasman, some are not. Regardless of the funding out of this country, ANCAP doesn’t deliver ratings on new cars that might only come to New Zealand.

The commonality with all the models cited by ANCAP now is that they have scores issued prior to 2015 and remain on sale as new choices.

In the past decade ANCAP and Euro NCAP protocols have revised and crash test criteria has become more stringent to the point, the Australasian agency says, scores for the cited vehicles are too outdated to be wholly relevant.

The improvement in testing has been a factor in vehicle makers having introduced more advanced safety aids and occupant protections. Sometimes these have gone into older vehicles as updates, but not always.

It is generally accepted older vehicles would be highly unlikely to maintain their accredited scores if assessed to today’s more stringent requirements.

Heavy-duty off-road vehicles have extra-long production cycles. The Toyota Land Cruiser Prado’s test score was achieved in 2011. It’s conjected this model might remain in production until perhaps 2024.

Evidence that new car buyers often, when making purchase decisions based on safety, just look for star counts without taking the date of test into account has become an emergent concern for some years.

There has been acceptance that it can be difficult, too, for buyers who do understand this issue to compare five-star ratings across similar vehicle types, without delving into the forensic details.

In layman’s terms, though, it has been long accepted that a vehicle issued with a fresh five-star rating is almost always safer than one with a score from, as a for instance, 10 years ago.

To ensure best-possible clarity in respect to this, ANCAP has decided to deem as ‘unrated’ all new motor vehicles with a safety rating from 2015 or earlier – unless they are updated and resubmitted to new tests, or replaced by a new model. 

The Triton falls into this category because it carries the five-star safety rating from the pre-facelift model introduced in 2015. Navara’s test was also conducted in 2015, as was Pajero Sport’s.

 The other utilities that achieved status as the country’s most popular new vehicle choices last month, respectively the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux, are also five-star models. The Ranger’s status also comes from a 2011 test, but it is in runout, with a replacement – set to undergo an entirely fresh test – due between June and August, depending on reports. Hilux was tested in 2019.

The Amarok and Prado five-star safety ratings also date from 2011. Amarok at that time was the first dual-cab ute to win five stars.

Mazda CX-3 was evaluated by ANCAP in 2015, as was Mazda2.

It is normal practice for car companies to replace older vehicles with newer models within five to seven years, hence the adoption of a new six-year expiry. However, that doesn’t play well for heavy duty sports utilities, which commonly have far more prolonged production lifespans. The Prado falls into that category.

A new Triton is now being developed, and will become the basis of the next-generation Navara; the Mitsubishi is unlikely to be seen for at least another year and the Nissan is touted as a 2024 entry.

The replacement Amarok, a sister ship to the 2022 Ford Ranger arriving after June, is also cited as a 2023 release here. The Prado might be expected to soldier on until perhaps 2024 or later, according to overseas’ speculation. 

While the ANCAP scores will be expired, they will not be totally expunged. The organisation intends to retain that data in a ‘previous models’ section of its website from the end of 2022, according to the Drive.com.au website.

In New Zealand, the vehicles appear set to be re-rated to a used car safety schedule, in part devised to give idea of the crash integrity of ex-Japan cars that being configured for the domestic market, with no expectation of these being shipped off as used vehicles, generally lack an international rating.

Used car ratings base on data accrued by Monash University in Australia. If that is not available then an average rating, based on the type of vehicle it is, comes into play.

ANCAP does not have the authority to ban or approve vehicles for sale. 

Mitsubishi, Mazda and Toyota were approached for comment.

Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand spokesman Reece Congdon said: “Thanks for the opportunity, but it’s not something we’re going to comment on at this time.”

Mazda NZ and Toyota NZ did not reply.

MMNZ has already in the past year taken a big blow from ANCAP, with the organisation deciding the Express van, despite being loaded with a swag of safety ingredients (and being a version of a Renault that did well in an earlier Euro NCAP assessment), deserved a zero score, the poorest outcome ever from the agency. Conversely, ANCAP has also just awarded the new Outlander a high five-star score and praised the safety elements.

Volkswagen Amarok’s test was conducted in 2011. It was the first dual-cab ute to achieve a five star acore. A new Amarok is coming in 2023.

Crawford said his organisation, and its equivalent in Australia (the FCAI) were aligned in their view in respect to ANCAP’s decision.

“We’re not happy that ANCAP have decided to retire ratings after six years. We believe the rating should always been read as (belonging to) the year the rating was done.

“But retiring it is a fait accompli and we just have to live with it.”

 He said New Zealand having a range of ratings made for a complex situation.