No ANCAP safety rating for Toyota HiLux GR Sport

Toyota Australia has stuck to its guns and launched the 2024 Toyota HiLux GR Sport ute without an ANCAP safety rating.

Toyota has a policy of not seeking an ANCAP rating for any models housed under its GR (Gazoo Racing) sports brand.

These include the Toyota GR86 sports car, GR Yaris and GR Corolla hot hatches and the less-heavily-modified GR Sport LandCruiser 300 Series and the new HiLux GR Sport.

The GR Sport is the only HiLux without an ANCAP rating. All other models including the Rogue with which it shares wider tracks and other modifications, get a maximum five-star rating based on 2019 protocols.

Toyota Australia questions the need for ANCAP ratings for niche spin-offs from models that already have five stars.

It also points to the Safety Sense equipment each model is fitted with as important protection for passengers.

“We’ve been fairly clear we wouldn’t be safety testing any of these [GR] vehicles,” Toyota Australia sales and marketing chief Sean Hanley told carsales.

“Compare it to Rogue, it has all the same safety features, which is a five-star, and you can draw your own conclusions.”

Hanley conceded the lower sales volumes for the GR models was part of the reasoning behind not conducting ANCAP tests.

“Volumes are involved but why would we put it through [crash testing] when we know what it’s got,” he said.

“Customers will be fully aware of that and they will be able to make that decision.,

“Toyota Safety Sense is our confidence to the buyer that you are getting the latest and greatest of Toyota safety.”

It is understood there are different reasons for different members of the GR family not undergoing ANCAP testing.

The GR hot hatches have body structure changes that would require crash testing to attain an ANCAP rating.

The GR86 is a low-volume, standalone sports car with a buying audience that would unlikely make a buying decision based on an ANCAP star rating.

However, the GR Sport LandCruiser and HiLux models are more closely based on existing models.

They are also family vehicles that will sell in substantial numbers. The HiLux GR Sport is estimated to sell at least 3500 examples per annum.

One reason not to go through ANCAP testing in pursuit of a five-star rating for the HiLux GR Sport is it is less likely to be a fleet purchase than other models such as the SR and SR5 dual-cabs.

ANCAP says it would appreciate the chance to rate the GR Sport models.

The independent safety authority is understood to have requested technical paperwork from Toyota to verify whether a five-star rating could be awarded to either model without the expense of crash testing.

Toyota has not supplied the relevant paperwork.

“We work very closely with manufacturers to see ratings extended to as many variants within a model range as possible, and this is determined through a combination of physical test results and other technical information provided by the manufacturer,” an ANCAP spokesperson told carsales in an emailed response to questions.

“Differences in vehicle specification and design – such as ride height, engine size, suspension, trackwidth, kerb mass, etc – can have an effect on the safety performance of vehicles, and at this stage an ANCAP safety rating is not currently available for the GR Sport variant.

“Safety is an important consideration for any buyer in the market for a new car, regardless of make, model or trimline, and pleasingly ANCAP safety ratings are available for around 90 per cent of all new cars sold here in Australia.”

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