2025 Cupra Tavascan misses full five stars for safety

The 2025 Cupra Tavascan has failed to be awarded the full five stars for safety in the latest round of the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP), because it doesn't feature an intelligent speed limiter or traffic sign recognition.

The Cupra Tavascan was on track for a glittering rating after the mid-size all-electric SUV scored 89 per cent for adult occupant protection, 87 per cent for child occupant protection, and 80 per cent for pedestrian impact.

Dragging down the overall rating to four stars, the Spanish Tesla Model Y rival only scored 67 per cent for its safety settings – three per cent off from the 70 per cent score needed for the full five stars.

The lack of an intelligent speed assistance system, or speed limit information and traffic sign recognition, means the subsequent four-star ANCAP score conflicts with the Euro NCAP rating that saw the European safety body award five stars back in 2024.

Commenting on the Tavascan’s four-star rating, ANCAP CEO Carla Hoorweg said: “While some improved performance across the Safety Assist pillar could have enhanced its score, the absence of an advanced speed assistance system primarily contributed to this four-star result.

“Speed sign recognition and an intelligent speed limiter are standard in European models but have not been made available to current Australian Tavascan buyers.

“The Tavascan performed well in each of the other areas of assessment, and we encourage Cupra to consider an update to Australian vehicles to elevate it to the five-star level of its European equivalents.”

Responding to the four-star rating in a highly competitive mid-size electric SUV segment where a five-star rating is commonplace, a statement from Cupra said: “The Tavascan comfortably exceeds five-star requirements in three of the four segments, including segments crucial to driver and passenger safety such as Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection and Vulnerable Road User Protection.

“In the fourth segment, Driver Assist, the Tavascan fulfilled or exceeded all requirements with the single exception of a speed limit information function.”

Cupra added that it “welcomes independent testing of its safety systems on real roads.”

Despite missing out on two driver assist features, ANCAP praised the Tavascan’s autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system for showing “consistent performance when responding to pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists in a range of collision avoidance scenarios, where it successfully mitigated or avoided collisions”.

That said, ANCAP did note that AEB didn’t detect pedestrians while reversing and the exit assist warning alerted occupants too late, with both performances judged ‘poor’.

As standard the 2025 Cupra Tavascan also gets blind-spot assist, lane-keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert and an adaptive cruise control that includes lane centring and a low-speed traffic jam assist.

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