ANCAP Safety has released five-star ratings for the BYD Seal 6, MG 4 Urban, Skoda Octavia (reassessed), and Tesla Model Y L in its latest round of tests.

 

The safety body praised the results of the BYD Seal 6 in particular, noting the model’s highest Adult Occupant Protection score of 92 per cent.

 

Offered as a sedan and wagon, the family-sized plug-in hybrid earned strong marks across all four pillars of assessment, with ANCAP Safety saying the model offered good protection across nearly all critical body regions for both the driver and passengers.

 

Alongside the 92 per cent Adult Occupant Protection score, the BYD Seal 6 scored a 90 per cent Child Occupant Protection score, an 84 per cent Vulnerable Road User score, and an 84 per cent Safety Assist score.

 

MG’s newly released MG 4 Urban was also awarded a five-star ANCAP safety rating, the new battery electric small car registering solid results across all assessment pillars.

 

ANCAP Safety said the model’s crash protection performance was strong, with good protection across key body regions in both frontal and side impact tests. Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) also performed well in forward pedestrian and cyclist scenarios.

 

All variants of the MG 4 Urban are covered by the five-star rating, the model scoring 87 per cent in the Adult Occupant Protection assessment, 86 per cent in the Child Occupant Protection assessment, as well as 85 per cent and 82 per cent respectively in the Vulnerable Road User Protection and Safety Assist protection categories.

 

Tesla’s newly released three-row Model Y L was also awarded a five-star result by ANCAP Safety, carrying through strong results in Safety Assist (92 per cent) and Adult Protection (91 per cent) criterion.

 

ANCAP Safety says the rating applied to the Tesla Model Y L is based on testing of the related five-seat Model Y, with additional testing and assessments undertaken to “make sure the results were applicable to the longer wheelbase variant”.

 

However, the safety body identified difficulties in the installation of child restraints in second row seating positions, where many restraints “could not be currently installed due to limitations with top tether routing”.

 

Further, in the third row of seats, rearward-facing and forward-facing convertible child restraints could not be easily installed using ISOFIX anchorages. ANCAP Safety said that as a result, care should be taken when selecting and installing child restraints in these positions.

 

The remaining assessment scores for the Tesla Model Y L were 84 per cent in the Child Occupant Protection category and 86 per cent in the Vulnerable Road User Protection category.

 

Finally, and in reassessing the Skoda Octavia range (for vehicles built after July 2025), ANCAP Safety has announced that the model has maintained a five-star result.

 

For reference, assessment category scores for the Skoda Octavia saw the model achieve an 85 per cent Adult Occupant Protection score, an 81 per cent Child Occupant Protection score, an 81 per cent Vulnerable Road User Protection score, and an 82 per cent Safety Assist score.

 

“These results highlight clear strengths across these models,” said ANCAP Safety chief executive officer Carla Hoorweg.

 

“The BYD Seal 6 leads the group on Adult Occupant Protection, the Tesla Model Y L tops it on Safety Assist, and the MG 4 Urban holds its own against both as a small electric car.

 

“Buyers now have more choice than ever before (and) ANCAP star ratings provide independent, rigorous assessments of how well vehicles prevent crashes and protect occupants and other road uses in serious crashes, meaning consumers can make an informed choice when it comes to safety.”

 

THERE have been mixed results from the latest round of ANCAP safety testing with four-star results awarded to the Suzuki e Vitara and Nissan Qashqai and a five-star score for both the Audi Q3 and Cupra Leon.

 

The Suzuki e Vitara, assessed under ANCAP’s 2023–2025 protocols, delivered solid performance across most categories but was ultimately limited by its Adult Occupant Protection score, with inconsistent results recorded in full-width crash testing.

 

The absence of a centre airbag to mitigate head contact in the event of a side impact also counted against the overall rating for the Suzuki e Vitara.

 

Suzuki Australia general manager Michael Pachota said that while safety is “paramount”, the brand believes its products meet the expectations of buyers, focusing on value despite the lack of current five-star ratings across the range.

 

By contrast, the new-generation Audi Q3 achieved a five-star rating with strong, consistent results across all key areas of assessment, reflecting the benchmark required to secure top marks under the current regime.

 

Alongside the new model assessments, ANCAP has also updated ratings for three existing vehicles following specification changes and reassessment.

 

As such, the Audi A3 and Cupra Leon both retain five-star ratings, continuing to demonstrate strong performance across Adult and Child Occupant Protection, Vulnerable Road User Protection and Safety Assist categories.

 

However, the Nissan Qashqai has been downgraded to a four-star rating…

 

While it continues to perform strongly in Child Occupant Protection, its results in other categories were not sufficient to maintain a five-star standing under current criteria.

 

ANCAP chief executive Carla Hoorweg said the latest results highlight the importance of balanced performance across all safety pillars.

 

“These outcomes show that higher levels of safety are within reach, and that continued focus on delivering consistent performance across all areas is key to achieving the highest rating,” she said.

 

A closer look at the latest ANCAP scores across Adult Occupant protection, Child Occupant protection, Vulnerable Road User and Safety Assist categories reveals how the performance of the vehicles assessed.

 

	Adult Occ.	Child Occ.	Road User	Safety Assist
Audi A3	86%	80%	76%	75%
Audi Q3	87%	86%	80%	83%
Cupra Leon	88%	86%	82%	82%
Nissan Qashqai	78%	91%	68%	62%
Suzuki e Vitara	77%	87%	79%	71%

 

ANCAP says the latest round of vehicle assessments underscores the tightening standards required to achieve a five-star rating, particularly as newer models incorporate more advanced active safety and occupant protection technologies.