ANCAP: Five-star safety for six electrified SUVs

ANCAP has delivered a fresh batch of crash test ratings this week, with six electrified SUVs all receiving the maximum five-stars.

The models in question are the Volvo EX30, Lexus LBX, Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid, Leapmotor C10, Zeekr X and XPeng G6.

Starting with the Volvo, the EX30 was awarded 86 per cent for its adult occupant protection, 85 per cent for child occupant protection, 79 per cent for vulnerable road user protection and 82 per cent for its safety assists.

Despite the top marks, testers had some concerns over the “potential injury from hard structures behind the dash” in the front offset test, a criticism it shared with the hybrid-powered Lexus LBX.

The littlest Lexus netted respective category scores of 82, 86, 79 and 79, putting it largely on par with the significantly bigger Santa Fe.

Hyundai’s new-generation family SUV was awarded 84 per cent for its adult occupant protection, 86 per cent for child occupant protection, 77 per cent for vulnerable road user protection and 80 per cent for its safety assists, however the rating only applies to hybrid variants and not the inbound 2.5-litre turbo-petrols.

The Zeekr X is mechanically identical to the EX30 – but dons a different body, interior and longer wheelbase – and yet the new challenger outshone its sibling in all fields: 91, 87, 84 and 84 respectively.

As for the other two Chinese offerings, both the Leapmotor and XPeng posted strong scores across the board with the latter netting the slightly higher average.

The G6 scored 88 per cent for its adult occupant protection, 86 per cent for child occupant protection, 81 per cent for vulnerable road user protection and 80 per cent for its safety assists compared to the C10’s respective 89, 87, 77 and 77.

ANCAP CEO Carla Hoorweg was pleased with the string of five-star performances, especially given they all feature electrified powertrains.

“There are close to 100 current five-star ANCAP ratings for alternate-powered vehicles, with most manufacturers proving that new models can be both safe and green,” she said.

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