Mondeo, NX and Prius v all top ANCAP

Crash safety testing authority ANCAP has revealed that the Ford Mondeo, Lexus NX and Toyota Prius v have all achieved the maximum five-star safety ratings in the latest batch of test results released.

Only the Prius v was tested locally, ANCAP merely publishing the Euro NCAP results for Mondeo and NX, now that the local testing protocol is aligned with the European body's. All three are '2015 date-stamped', which means they're all tested in accordance with the same procedure.

"With ANCAP's annual increases to requirements, ANCAP reminds consumers to look for two simple things when buying their next car.  First, look for five stars.  Second, look for a model which has the latest ANCAP date stamp.  That way you can be assured you're buying one of the safest cars possible," said ANCAP CEO, Nicholas Clarke.

Ford plans to introduce the all-new Mondeo in May, the Lexus NX range has been on sale here (in hybrid form initially) since late last year, and the Prius V is an upgrade of the model that has been on sale in Australia since 2012.

"The Toyota Prius v has excellent family car credentials," said Clarke.  "It has side head-protection [curtain airbags] and seat belt reminders for all three rows, reversing camera, and provides excellent pedestrian protection."

The Lexus NX comes with autonomous emergency braking for higher-specification models in the range, but the primary safety feature is not standard across the range.