ANCAP confirms MX-5 testing

Crash testing organisation Australasian New Car Assessment Programme (ANCAP) has confirmed it is working with Mazda to crash test the Japanese marque's popular and award-winning MX-5.

The organisation's Chief Executive Officer James Goodwin confirmed the testing program this morning. ANCAP's frontal testing has been completed and the small roadster will undergo a pole test in Melbourne tomorrow. Side and pedestrian testing will take place soon, he said.

"We've worked with Mazda to undertake local assessment [of the MX-5]," Goodwin told motoring.com.au.

"We're looking forward to seeing the results. We hope that that will provide a safe alternative for those purchasers looking for this type of [open] vehicle," he said.

Mazda Australia has previously expressed its disappointment in the overseas testing of the MX-5 and early this year hinted it would undergo local testing.

But the importer would not comment on the testing today.

According to Goodwin the results of testing may not be published until late in the first half of 2016.

"It's a bit hard to say [when the results will be published]," he told motoring.com.au.

"ANCAP has had a very busy start to the year and we have a number of vehicle's 80-90 per cent done. We are waiting for a bit of a backlog on pedestrian testing.

"We are not prioritising any vehicles over another, but we're hoping it [the MX-5 results] can be [announced] before the end of the financial year," he said.