ANCAP: Hyundai IONIQ 6 and Lexus RX set new safety records
New electric sedan and luxury SUV go big on adult occupant and vulnerable road user protectionThe 2023 Hyundai IONIQ 6 and 2023 Lexus RX have each set new ANCAP category score records on their way to a full five-star safety rating.
The Korean car-maker’s all-new electric sedan achieved a 97 per cent adult occupant protection score and the the Japanese luxury brand’s new large SUV set a new vulnerable road user protection benchmark of 89 per cent.
The IONIQ 6’s leading category result is actually shared with the Tesla Model Y, but the best-selling Tesla is produced and sold as an SUV whereas the box-fresh Hyundai is a passenger vehicle (sedan), albeit with a modern battery-electric drivetrain.
Said electric sedan’s other category scores comprised an 88 per cent score for child occupant protection, 66 per cent for vulnerable road user protection and 90 per cent for safety assists, even though the European test vehicle wasn’t fitted with an Aussie- or Kiwi-spec AEB ‘backover’ system.
ANCAP CEO Carla Hoorweg praised the performance of the IONIQ 6 and indeed most other EVs coming to market.
“As electric vehicles don’t have large engine components under the bonnet, they have the potential to pose less risk to vehicle occupants in a frontal crash scenario, compared to petrol and diesel cars,” she said.
“We have seen that play out in testing of the IONIQ 6 – with only a very slight penalty applied for potential injury risk to adult occupants.”
Hoorweg also praised the RX’s record-breaking vulnerable road user protection score, which was supported by adult and child occupant protection scores of 90 and 89 per cent respectively, as well as a 93 per cent mark for its safety assists.
“The Lexus RX is another of our top performers – achieving high scores across all key areas of assessment resulting in a five-star ANCAP safety rating,” she said.
Both models were tested last year under the 2020-22 protocols, with their respective five-star ratings applying to every locally offered variant.
Related: 2023 Hyundai IONIQ 6: Full Australian details announced
Related: Dozens of new models from Mazda CX-3 to Toyota Prado lose their safety ratings
Related: 2023 GWM Ora, Alfa Romeo Tonale, Citroen C5 X earn top crash safety rating
Related: New Lexus RX priced ahead of early 2023 arrival
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