New safety scores for models

ANCAP has announced safety ratings for a trio of models, with two coming away with a top mark of five stars.

The Polestar 4 equalled the second-highest adult occupant protection score under ANCAP’s current assessment criteria after recording 92 per cent on its way to a five-star safety rating.

It was awarded full points for driver protection in the side impact and oblique pole crash tests, and for adult passengers in frontal offset and full-width frontal crash simulations.

The Polestar 4, pictured, also gained maximum marks for protection of child occupants in the frontal offset and side impact crash tests.

The vehicle’s collision avoidance features performed well across the range of on-track emergency braking and lane support system tests.

Carla Hoorweg, ANCAP chief executive officer, says: “Establishing a solid product line-up, this five-star rating now sees the Polestar 2, Polestar 3 and Polestar 4 all carry the top level of safety.”

Also awarded a top safety rating was the new-generation Subaru Forester, which delivered “strong performance across the board”.

The Forester, in hybrid and petrol configurations, reached five-star thresholds across all areas of ANCAP’s assessment. Child occupant protection and vulnerable road user protection were standouts with scores of 91 per cent and 86 per cent respectively.

Maximum points were also awarded for driver protection in the destructive side impact, oblique pole and full-width crash tests, although the latter recorded weak chest protection for the adult passenger seated in the second row.

ANCAP notes the Forester’s centre airbag limited occupant movement towards the other side of the vehicle in side-impact tests but offered reduced head protection when the vehicle was struck on the passenger side, resulting in a one-point penalty.

The other model recently put through its paces was the compact Hyundai Inster , which received a four-star ANCAP safety rating. 

It performed well in collision avoidance tests but its crash protection attributes – how well the vehicle’s structure and airbags protect occupants – kept the Inster in four-star territory.

ANCAP says the Inster just reached the four-star threshold for adult occupant protection with a score of 70 per cent.

Marginal chest protection was common across the frontal offset, full-width frontal and oblique pole tests. 

In the frontal offset test, the driver’s airbag did not fully prevent head contact with the steering wheel and a penalty was applied.

In the side impact test, pelvis protection of the driver was assessed as adequate, and the chest protection for the 10-year-old child dummy was poor. 

Crash avoidance-wise, the Inster was deemed to offer a reasonable level of performance with a safety assist score of 69 per cent.

“The Hyundai Inster enters a highly competitive segment, and while some may suggest safety isn’t important for the smaller end of the market, in fact the opposite is true,” note Hoorweg. 

“Smaller vehicles, by physical size, are at a disadvantage out on the road, so having a well-rounded level of structural safety as well as the ability to avoid a crash is critical for those looking to purchase a smaller vehicle.”

For full details on each of the above models, visit www.ancap.com.au.