Best Mid-Size SUV 2021: Safety
You’d expect all high-grade medium SUVs to have a comprehensive safety suite, but some have surprising omissionsSafety has never been as important to buyers. Stricter testing protocols introduced by independent safety authorities in recent years have forced car-makers to lift their game, but the shifting goalposts also now make it impossible to simply look at star ratings without considering when the model was assessed. There’s also the vast array of potentially life-saving features available on modern cars to consider. Some of the mid-size SUVs in this mega-test are far more comprehensively equipped than others when it comes to safety. And many have avoided being put to the test under ANCAP’s tough new assessment regime.
There is a baseline when it comes to the safety equipment fitted as standard in all the contenders lining up in carsales’ Best Mid-Size SUV 2021 mega-test.
You’ll see anti-lock braking systems (ABS), electronic stability control (ESC), electronic brake assist (EBA), forward collision warning (FCW), autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and LED headlights on all of them.
But beyond these basic safety ingredients there are some significant equipment anomalies.
Before we get to that, there is the biggest anomaly of all – the crash safety ratings from the independent Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP).
Those models that do achieve a maximum five-star rating – that is, all of them except the yet-to-be-rated new Hyundai Tucson – are not necessarily equal, making it confusing for buyers and potentially misleading.
This anomaly is due to the increased ANCAP requirements to achieve five stars, first in 2017 and then again in 2020.
The Mitsubishi Outlander was tested in 2014, while the Kia Sportage and Volkswagen Tiguan have a 2016 ANCAP date stamp. In 2017, the Honda CR-V, Mazda CX-5, Nissan X-TRAIL and Skoda Karoq achieved their five-star rating.
The Ford Escape, MG HS, Subaru Forester and Toyota RAV4 have the most recent five-star results, all achieved in 2019.
All the SUVs on test here have at least six airbags, consisting of front, front-side and full-length side curtain airbags. Of those that have seven airbags, only the Tucson has a centre airbag between the front seats (which is now all but a prerequisite for a top safety), while the Outlander, Karoq, Forester, RAV4 and Tiguan instead have a driver’s knee airbag.
Two key electronic driver assist systems – lane departure warning (LDW) and lane keep assist (LKA) – are fitted to all but the Skoda, for which you need to specify an extra-cost option package to obtain these features.
Only the CR-V misses out on rear cross traffic alert.
Standard blind spot monitoring is absent on the Honda and Skoda. Honda has instead what it calls Lane Watch, which offers a camera view behind and to the (left) side when indicating left, while the Skoda has blind spot monitoring available in an option pack.
A driver impairment monitor is standard for all but the MG, Mitsubishi and Toyota.
Tyre pressure monitoring is standard on all but the Mitsubishi, Nissan and Toyota.
Only the Outlander and Forester have a ‘mis-acceleration mitigation’ system, which helps avoid the possibility of the driver accelerating into an object from standstill, while lane following assist and secondary collision mitigation is only offered by the Tucson and Forester.
Unique to the Escape is its ‘My Key’ feature, which allows safety features to be configured and set by the owner, such as restricting audio volume and limiting maximum speed. This is useful when young drivers are using the vehicle.
The Tucson is the only SUV here to offer a safe exit warning that alerts occupants to the dangers of oncoming traffic from behind when opening a door.
Ford Escape 2.0 Vignale AWD
ANCAP safety rating (year): Five-star (2019)
AEB: Yes
Airbags/driver knee/centre front: 6/No/No
Blind spot monitoring: Yes
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
Honda CR-V 1.5 VTi LX AWD
ANCAP safety rating (year): Five-star (2017)
AEB: Yes
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: No
Parking sensors front/rear: Yes/Yes
Hyundai Tucson 1.6 Highlander AWD
ANCAP safety rating (year): Not tested
AEB: Yes
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
Kia Sportage 2.4 GT-Line AWD
ANCAP safety rating (year): Five-star (2016)
AEB: Yes
Airbags/driver knee/centre front: 6/No/No
Blind spot monitoring: Yes
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
Mazda CX-5 2.5 Akera AWD
ANCAP safety rating (year): Five-star (2017)
AEB: Yes
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: Yes
Rear cross traffic alert: Yes
Parking sensors front/rear: Yes/Yes
MG HS 2.0 Essence X AWD
ANCAP safety rating (year): Five-star (2019)
AEB: Yes
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: Yes
Rear cross traffic alert: Yes
Parking sensors front/rear: No/Yes
Mitsubishi Outlander 2.4 Exceed AWD
ANCAP safety rating (year): Five-star (2014)
AEB: Yes
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 X-TRAIL 2.5 Ti AWD
ANCAP safety rating (year): Five-star (2017)
AEB: Yes
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: Yes
Rear cross traffic alert: Yes
Parking sensors front/rear: No/Yes
Skoda Karoq 2.0 140TSI Sportline AWD
ANCAP safety rating (year): Five-star (2017)
AEB: Yes
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: No
Lane keep assist: No
Rear cross traffic alert: Yes
Parking sensors front/rear: No/Yes
Subaru Forester 2.5i-S AWD
ANCAP safety rating (year): Five-star (2019)
AEB: Yes
Airbags/driver knee/centre front: 7/Yes/No
Blind spot monitoring: Yes
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: No/No
Toyota RAV4 2.5 Edge AWD
ANCAP safety rating (year): Five-star (2019)
AEB: Yes
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
Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0 162TSI Elegance AWD
ANCAP safety rating (year): Five-star (2016)
AEB: Yes
Airbags/driver knee/centre front: 7/Yes/No
Blind spot monitoring: Yes
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
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
