Mahindra pauses ANCAP safety push until 2026

Indian SUV and ute maker Mahindra will hold off attempting to improve its automotive safety story in Australia until updated 2026 ANCAP protocols are introduced.

The brand’s Scorpio 4x4 wagon has been battered by a zero stars ANCAP rating, but despite a safety equipment update coming to Australia late this year it may never be retested.

Mahindra’s brand new cut-price XUV 3XO mini-SUV is now on-sale without an ANCAP rating and will not be tested for one until 2026.

And Mahindra admits the 3XO’s modifications – currently being developed – required to achieve a five star 2026 ANCAP rating will likely a mean a price rise from today’s rock-bottom $23,490 launch price.

In its current specification without a centre front airbag, blind spot warning and rear cross traffic alert it is estimated to be a four star ANCAP performer at best under the current protocols.

The other Mahindra model currently on-sale in Australia, the XUV 700 has not been tested by ANCAP.

Speaking at the recent launch of the 3XO, Sachin Arolkar, Head of International Operations at Mahindra & Mahindra, made it clear that among current Mahindra models currently on-sale in Australia only the 3XO was guaranteed to be tested to the 2026 ANCAP protocols.

However, future Mahindra models would all be developed to meet ANCAP five stars, he said.

That’s an important clarification because Mahindra is expected to launch the critically important new Pik Up dual cab ute in Australia in 2026, and an all-new off-road SUV and two brand new EVs – the BE 6 and XEV 9e – as soon as 2027.

“We are evaluating all the new products in the light of the 2026 [ANCAP protocols] because it is very important to be up to date,” said Arolkar.

“Trying to keep up to speed is a challenge. So that’s the reason we are holding back certain things and saying let’s work with the 2026 norms and some of the things that are only happening with the 2026 norms.”

Arolkar conceded the 3XO faced a price rise to achieve ANCAP five stars.

“My guess is yes, obviously there will be changes that require refreshments on the product,” he said.

While the 3XO needs more safety equipment to gain five stars, Mahindra says it also requires a redesign to ‘soften’ its front impact structure to comply with 2026 compatibility protocols.

"The moving object test in Australia is a very critical one for safety globally because not only are you protecting the occupants – which we have always done – but you now need to show the adverse impact on the object you are hitting,” Mahindra Australia marketing boss James Halliwell told media.

“So designing a vehicle to meet those two requirements is almost contra in its engineering.

“We actually need to make a few adjustments to the vehicle to meet the new protocol and given the new protocol is not very far away there is no point launching a vehicle with the testing and spending a whole lot of money testing to the current standard when its changing in six months’ time.”

ANCAP itself says it plans no significant changes to compatibility testing.

In the case of the Scorpio, a package of driver assist systems including autonomous emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist are being introduced.

These could be tested to current ANCAP protocols and the Scorpio uprated without fresh crash testing, dramatically cutting the cost. But Arolkar showed no interest in that scenario.

“[ANCAP testing Scorpio] In this calendar year? No. Twenty-twenty-six? I will come back to you.”

Mahindra has declared Australia a priority export market overall as it seeks, like the many Chinese brands coming here, to carve out a significant chunk of local sales.

The target is becoming a top 15 seller in the Aussie market by 2030 – it currently averages about 4000 vehicles per year placing it around 30th.

Join the conversation at our Facebook page
Or email us at editor@carsales.com.au