Five safety stars for Mirage, Kuga, Beetle

Three high-profile new models to be on sale in Australia within the next two months have been awarded the highest possible safety rating from the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP).

Mitsubishi’s all-new Mirage city car, which was launched last month without a local crash safety score, Volkswagen’s new-generation Beetle – to be launched later this week – and Ford’s redesigned Kuga crossover (due in April) have all achieved a maximum five-star ANCAP ranking.

Priced from $12,990 plus on-road costs, the Mirage comes standard with six airbags, anti-lock brakes, electronic brake-force distribution and - unlike its predecessor, the three-star Colt – electronic stability control.

Volkswagen’s latest Beetle hatch, meantime, improves upon its forebear’s four-star rating, while the new Kuga maintains the five-star accolade awarded to the model it replaces – two weeks after Euro NCAP awarded the new Ford crossover its ‘2012 best in class’ award.

“With a record number of new cars sold in 2012 and continued strong sales in the first month of 2013, it is most encouraging to see that nearly 70 per cent of new cars sold in January held a five-star ANCAP safety rating,” said ANCAP Chairman, Lauchlan McIntosh.

“ANCAP wants to see this positive trend continue as we raise the bar for all safety ratings year on year. More five-star cars on the market means safer drivers, occupants and pedestrians,” he said.

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