ANCAP to up pressure on car-makers

Having just undergone a major overhaul last year, the Australasian New Car Assessment Program, ANCAP, has confirmed it will further tighten its new-vehicle safety protocols in 2020.

ANCAP chief executive James Goodwin said the company would build on the changes made last year.

“Last year was certainly a big milestone year, as we’ve fully aligned with Euro NCAP, with a new suite of protocols,” he said.

“This year will see a consolidation of those changes.”

Mr Goodwin said updating the scoring system prompts car-makers to increase the standard safety in their vehicles.

“Every few years we push the boundaries and make the assessment harder, yet vehicles continue to score five stars,” he said.

“We move the goal posts deliberately. Each time the vehicle brands say, ‘it’s too hard, it’ll cost too much, it can’t be done, people won’t buy the cars’, but now we’ve proven that is not the case – it’s a really good thing.”

Mr Goodwin said there would be adjustments to better test the effectiveness of advanced driver-assist technologies. “A few years ago, having active safety was almost considered bonus points,” he said.

“Now they are fundamental across the four categories of assessment. So, something like AEB, autonomous emergency braking, is actually scored in the adult occupant protection box, rather than the safety assist box.

“If you don’t have some kind of AEB, it’s impossible to score five stars.”

ANCAP is looking at ways to better compare the levels of advanced driver-assist systems, such as the effectiveness of basic camera-based AEB and radar-based systems with pedestrian and cyclist detection.

“We are now testing the effectiveness of these systems,” Mr Goodwin said.

“The less expensive systems don’t perform as well as the more expensive systems. You can’t just have AEB. It also needs to work.”

Kia’s new-generation Cerato recently scored a split rating, with the price-sensitive S and Sport grades scoring four stars while the higherspecification Sport+ and GT received five stars.

Mr Goodwin praised Kia for offering strong safety tech at an affordable price but said the split rating serves as a warning to other brands.

“When the technology is available, the excuses become less palatable,” he said.