Best Dual-Cab 4x4 Ute 2021: Safety

Of course all the vehicles on test in carsales’ Best Dual-Cab 4x4 Ute 2021 come standard with mandated minimum safety equipment including anti-lock brakes and electronic stability control.

The majority also brandish a maximum five-star safety rating from independent local safety body ANCAP, but not all of them are comparable.

This is because the requirements to obtain five ANCAP stars have become progressively more stringent almost every year since 2011. Some of the five-star utes with an older ANCAP date stamp would, if retested now, no longer achieve this top score based on their lack of safety equipment alone, particularly the modern driver-assist systems.

The Isuzu D-MAX and Mazda BT-50 have the most recent five-star ANCAP rating (2020) based on current testing protocols, while the Toyota HiLux achieved five stars most recently in 2019.

The LDV T60 achieved its five-star score in 2017, while the Ford Ranger, Nissan Navara and Mitsubishi Triton were awarded five stars in 2015. The Volkswagen Amarok was given five stars in 2011, but as a 2.0-litre four-cylinder, not the V6.

The Jeep Gladiator achieved a three-star ANCAP rating (based on the Jeep Wrangler’s ANCAP test) in 2019, while the new GWM Ute has not been tested yet and the SsangYong Musso, on the market for more than two years now, also remains untested.

Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and lane keeping assist are important safety features – and as ground-breaking for their life-saving potential as seat belts, ABS and ESC were – but here among Australia’s most popular dual-cabs (some of which are the nation’s top-selling new vehicles, period) their inclusion is not a given.

All but the LDV and Volkswagen come standard with AEB and forward collision warning.

AEB for the city only (low speeds up to 50km/h) is fitted to the Ranger, Triton and Musso, while the Gladiator, D-MAX, BT-50, Navara and HiLux have inter-urban AEB (up to 80km/h). Only the Gladiator, Musso and Amarok do not have lane keeping assist.

The Ranger, HiLux and Amarok miss out on blind spot monitoring, while only the Gladiator and Amarok do not have lane departure warning.

A driver impairment monitor is only fitted to the Ford, Isuzu, LDV, Mazda, Nissan and SsangYong. Rear cross traffic alert is fitted to all but the Ranger, T60, HiLux and Amarok, which also lacks rear side curtain airbags.

While rear disc brakes are common in the passenger car and SUV market, they are not a typical fitment for popular utes. Here just the GWM Ute, Gladiator, LDV T60, Musso and Amarok have them, with the remainder using drum rear brakes.

While each ute has its safety strengths and weaknesses, it is the Isuzu and Mazda twins that share equal top billing for their comprehensive suite of safety gear, including a front-centre airbag.

But while having a broad sweep of active safety equipment is important, equally important is how effectively it works.

While the Isuzu and Mazda tick all the safety boxes, some of their safety gear such as lane keep assist and speed sign recognition do not work quite as unobtrusively as they do in others here, such as the HiLux and Ranger.

Ford Ranger Wildtrak key safety equipment:
ANCAP safety rating (year): Five-star (2015)
AEB/pedestrian/cyclist/turn assist: Yes (city)/Yes/Yes/No
Airbags/driver knee/centre front: 6/No/No
Blind-spot monitoring: No
Forward collision warning: Yes
Rear/360-degree camera: Yes/No
Lane departure warning: Yes
Lane keep assist: Yes
Rear cross-traffic alert: Yes
Parking sensors front/rear: Yes/Yes

GWM Ute Cannon-X key safety equipment:
ANCAP safety rating (year): Not tested
AEB/pedestrian/cyclist/turn assist: Yes/Yes/Yes/No
Airbags/driver knee/centre front: 7/No/Yes
Blind-spot monitoring: Yes
Forward collision warning: Yes
Rear/360-degree camera: Yes/Yes
Lane departure warning: Yes
Lane keep assist: Yes
Rear cross traffic alert: Yes
Parking sensors front/rear: Yes/Yes

Isuzu D-MAX X-Terrain key safety equipment:
ANCAP safety rating (year): Five-star (2020)
AEB/pedestrian/cyclist/turn assist: Yes/Yes/Yes/Yes
Airbags/driver knee/centre front: 8/Yes/Yes/Yes
Blind spot monitoring: Yes
Forward collision warning: Yes
Rear/360-degree camera: Yes/Yes
Lane departure warning: Yes
Lane keep assist: Yes
Rear cross traffic alert: Yes
Parking sensors front/rear: Yes/Yes

Jeep Gladiator Overland key safety equipment:
ANCAP safety rating (year): Three-star (2019)
AEB/pedestrian/cyclist/turn assist: Yes/No/No/No
Airbags/driver knee/centre front: 4/No/No
Blind-spot monitoring: Yes
Forward collision warning: Yes
Rear/360-degree camera: Yes/No
Lane departure warning: No
Lane keep assist: No
Rear cross traffic alert: Yes
Parking sensors front/rear: Yes/Yes

LDV T60 LUXE key safety equipment:
ANCAP safety rating (year): Five-star (2017)
AEB/pedestrian/cyclist/turn assist: No/No/No/No
Airbags/driver knee/centre front: 6/No/No
Blind spot monitoring: Yes
Forward collision warning: No
Rear/360-degree camera: Yes/Yes
Lane departure warning: Yes
Lane keep assist: Yes
Rear cross traffic alert: No
Parking sensors front/rear: No/Yes

Mazda BT-50 GT key safety equipment:
ANCAP safety rating (year): Five-star (2020)
AEB/pedestrian/cyclist/turn assist: Yes/Yes/Yes/Yes
Airbags/driver knee/centre front: 8/Yes/Yes/Yes
Blind spot monitoring: Yes
Forward collision warning: Yes
Rear/360-degree camera: Yes/Yes
Lane departure warning: Yes
Lane keep assist: Yes
Rear cross traffic alert: Yes
Parking sensors front/rear: Yes/Yes

Mitsubishi Triton GSR key safety equipment:
ANCAP safety rating (year): Five-star (2015)
AEB/pedestrian/cyclist/turn assist: Yes (city)/Yes/Yes/No
Airbags/driver knee/centre front: 7/Yes/No
Blind spot monitoring: Yes
Forward collision warning: Yes
Rear/360-degree camera: Yes/Yes
Lane departure warning: Yes
Lane keep assist: Yes
Rear cross traffic alert: Yes
Parking sensors front/rear: Yes/Yes

Nissan Navara ST-X key safety equipment:
ANCAP safety rating (year): Five-star (2015)
AEB/pedestrian/cyclist/turn assist: Yes/No/No/No
Airbags/driver knee/centre front: 7/Yes/No
Blind spot monitoring: Yes
Forward collision warning: Yes
Rear/360-degree camera: Yes/Yes
Lane departure warning: Yes
Lane keep assist: Yes
Rear cross traffic alert: Yes
Parking sensors front/rear: No/Yes

SsangYong Musso Ultimate key safety equipment:
ANCAP safety rating (year): Not tested
AEB/pedestrian/cyclist/turn assist: Yes (city)/No/No/No
Airbags/driver knee/centre front: 6/No/No
Blind spot monitoring: Yes
Forward collision warning: Yes
Rear/360-degree camera: Yes/Yes
Lane departure warning: Yes
Lane keep assist: No
Rear cross traffic alert: Yes
Parking sensors front/rear: Yes/Yes

Toyota HiLux SR5 key safety equipment:
ANCAP safety rating (year): Five-star (2019)
AEB/pedestrian/cyclist/turn assist Yes/Yes/Yes/No
Airbags/driver knee/centre front 7/Yes/No
Blind spot monitoring: No
Forward collision warning: Yes
Rear/360-degree camera: Yes/No
Lane departure warning: Yes
Lane keep assist: Yes
Rear cross traffic alert: No
Parking sensors front/rear: Yes/Yes

Volkswagen Amarok Highline V6 TDI 580 key safety equipment:
ANCAP safety rating (year): Five-star (2011)
AEB/pedestrian/cyclist/turn assist: No/No/No/No
Airbags/driver knee/centre front: 6/No/No*
Blind spot monitoring: No
Forward collision warning: Yes
Rear/360-degree camera: Yes/No
Lane departure warning: No
Lane keep assist: No
Rear cross traffic alert: No
Parking sensors front/rear: Yes/Yes
* Curtain airbags front only