Best Dual-Cab 4x4 Ute 2022: Safety

All seven utes assembled here for carsales’ Best Dual-Cab 4x4 Ute 2022 have the minimum safety features that Australian buyers have come expect regardless of vehicle segment, such as multiple airbags, electronic stability control and an anti-locking braking system with electronic brake assist.

They also come equipped with more advanced driver assist technology, including autonomous emergency braking (AEB), forward collision warning (FCW), lane keeping assist (LKA) and lane departure warning (LDW).

So far so good, but beyond this broad-brush list the equipment levels and sophistication of the technology begins to diverge – some going the extra distance, others not so much.

AEB is now considered a vital element, so much so that it will soon become mandatory on all passenger cars, SUVs and, yes, utes.

However, the AEB systems you’ll find on our seven contenders aren’t all the same. On the Mitsubishi Triton GSR, for example, it only works at city speeds. On the others, the AEB operates up to ‘interurban’ speeds.

All the AEB systems recognise other cars, but not all of them can detect cyclists and pedestrians, or operate in a turning situation with oncoming traffic. Only the new Ford Ranger XLT, Isuzu D-MAX and Mazda BT-50 tick the boxes in all these circumstances.

While we’re on the subject of braking, and given the emphasis on heavy load carrying with utes, we note that the Ford Ranger and the GWM Ute are the only models fitted here with four-wheel disc brakes. The others make do with rear drum brakes.

Elsewhere, misacceleration mitigation (which reduces the chance or severity of a collision if you mistakenly hit the accelerator when stationary or at low speeds) is fitted only to the Triton, D-MAX and BT-50, while secondary collision mitigation is found on the Ranger, D-MAX/BT-50 twins and the GWM Ute.

That leaves the Toyota HiLux, Nissan Navara and the Mitsubishi Triton without the secondary collision avoidance tech, which kicks in post-crash to reduce the severity of the impact and can help avoid subsequent collisions.

If you’re in a crash and need to call for emergency services, only the Ford Ranger and, with an update being introduced this month, Toyota HiLux, will do this automatically for you.

A more active lane keeping system is fitted to all models except the GWM and Mitsubishi utes at this level, while active cruise control is missing on the Triton GSR and the Navara PRO-4X, which instead rely on traditional cruise control.

All seven utes are fitted standard with a reversing camera, rear parking sensors and rear cross traffic alert.

Additional assistance in the form of front parking sensors comes with all but the D-MAX LS-U+ and the Navara PRO-4X, while three utes are also missing a 360-degree camera – Ranger XLT, D-MAX LS-U+ and BT-50 SP.

All but the Navara and the HiLux have a speed limiter.

LED headlights are fitted on each of our contenders, with front fog lights also standard across the board. The GWM Ute goes one better with fog lights at the rear.

See the specs below that show up other important safety differences among our Best Dual-Cab 4x4 Ute contenders, including the independent crash-test ratings handed down by the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP).

It’s important to note that ANCAP’s standards and requirements have evolved in recent years to better reflect industry advancements and higher consumer expectations.

Assessment criteria changes in 2017 and again in 2020 mean that the ANCAP safety rating ‘date stamps’ are now as important as the actual star rating itself.

While it’s pleasing that every ute on test has been awarded a maximum five stars, those assessed back in 2015 – the Mitsubishi Triton and Nissan Navara – achieved the result under a less rigorous testing regime.

Ditto for the Toyota HiLux, which earned five stars under tougher circumstances than the Triton and Navara, but can’t be compared directly with the rest of the field – all of which have achieved top ratings under the latest protocols.

Ford Ranger XLT 2.0
ANCAP safety rating (year): Five-star (2022)
ACC/Stop-go: Yes/Yes
AEB/FCW: Yes (interurban)
Airbags/driver and passenger knee/centre front: 9/Yes/Yes
Blind spot monitoring: Yes
Lane departure warning: Yes
Lane keep assist: Yes
Rear cross traffic alert: Yes
Rear/360-degree camera: Yes/No
Parking sensors front/rear: Yes/Yes

GWM Ute Cannon-X
ANCAP safety rating (year): Five-star (2021)
ACC/Stop-go: Yes/Yes
AEB/FCW: Yes (interurban)
Airbags/driver knee/centre front: 7/No/Yes
Blind spot monitoring: Yes
Lane departure warning: Yes
Lane keep assist: Yes
Rear cross traffic alert: Yes
Rear/360-degree camera: Yes/Yes
Parking sensors front/rear: Yes/Yes

Isuzu D-MAX LS-U+
ANCAP safety rating (year): Five-star (2020)
ACC/Stop-go: Yes/Yes
AEB/FCW: Yes (interurban)
Airbags/driver knee/centre front: 8/Yes/Yes
Blind spot monitoring: Yes
Lane departure warning: Yes
Lane keep assist: Yes
Rear cross traffic alert: Yes
Rear/360-degree camera: Yes/No
Parking sensors front/rear: No/Yes

Mazda BT-50 GT
ANCAP safety rating (year): Five-star (2020)
ACC/Stop-go: Yes/Yes
AEB/FCW: Yes (interurban)
Airbags/driver knee/centre front: 8/Yes/Yes
Blind spot monitoring: Yes
Lane departure warning: Yes
Lane keep assist: Yes
Rear cross traffic alert: Yes
Rear/360-degree camera: Yes/No
Parking sensors front/rear: Yes/Yes

Mitsubishi Triton GSR
ANCAP safety rating(year): Five-star (2015)
ACC/Stop-go: No/No
AEB/FCW: Yes (city only)
Airbags/driver knee/centre front: 7/Yes/No
Blind spot monitoring: Yes
Lane departure warning: Yes
Lane keep assist: Yes
Rear cross traffic alert: Yes
Rear/360-degree camera: Yes/Yes
Parking sensors front/rear: Yes/Yes

Nissan Navara PRO-4X
ANCAP safety rating (year): Five-star (2015)
ACC/Stop-go: No/No
AEB/FCW: Yes (interurban)
Airbags/driver knee/centre front: 7/Yes/No
Blind spot monitoring: Yes
Lane departure warning: Yes
Lane keep assist: Yes
Rear cross traffic alert: Yes
Rear/360-degree camera: Yes/Yes
Parking sensors front/rear: No/Yes

Toyota HiLux SR5
ANCAP safety rating (year): Five-star (2019)
ACC/Stop-go: Yes/Yes
AEB/FCW: Yes (interurban)
Airbags/driver knee/centre front: 7/Yes/No
Blind spot monitoring: Yes
Lane departure warning: Yes
Lane keep assist: Yes
Rear cross traffic alert: Yes (from MY23 update)
Rear/360-degree camera: Yes/Yes (from MY23 update)
Parking sensors front/rear: Yes/Yes