Safety ratings revoked for popular new cars

When the clock struck midnight on December 31, 2023, there was an air of celebration... except for car-brands like Toyota, Volkswagen and Mazda.

That’s because when January 1, 2024 rolled around, vehicles like the Toyota C-HR, Mazda CX-5 and Volkswagen T-Roc SUVs were stripped of their five-star ANCAP safety ratings.

Independent car safety authority ANCAP has rescinded five-star safety ratings from several new cars in 2024 as part of a new policy that began a year ago and will continue to be enforced going forward.

ANCAP, also known as the Australasian New Car Assessment Program, now nullifies safety ratings from vehicles after six calendar years (in addition to the year the vehicle was tested) meaning that numerous vehicles tested in 2017 will now have an ANCAP ‘untested’ rating attached in 2024.

Prominent new vehicles on sale in Australia that have had their safety ratings deleted include the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross, Mazda CX-5 and MX-5, BMW X4, Kia Picanto, Skoda Karoq and Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series single-cab.

Scroll to the bottom of the story to see the full list.

Some models have been discontinued making the ANCAP rating annulments a moot point. These include the Kia Stinger, Jeep Cherokee, Mazda CX-9 and Volkswagen Arteon.

Several of the listed vehicles will be replaced by all-new models within months, such as the Toyota C-HR and Subaru Impreza, but others will need to be retested to attain an ANCAP safety rating.

Vehicles that are not re-tested will be branded ‘untested’ by ANCAP and can still be sold as new cars through dealerships but they may be black-listed by fleets and prevented from entering some worksites.

Some car-makers voluntarily choose to avoid ANCAP testing, such as Toyota's GR or Gazoo Racing performance sub-brand, which recently confirmed the HiLux GR Sport would remain untested.

Porsche has also been lambasted by ANCAP for non-compliance over the years and exotic car brands are in the same boat.

However, most mainstream car brands see a five-star ANCAP safety rating as a must-have selling point for their products.

Revoked ANCAP scores in 2024:
Alfa Romeo Stelvio (tested 2017, five stars)
Audi Q5 (tested 2017, five stars)
BMW 6 Series GT (tested 2017, five stars)
BMW X3 (tested 2017, five stars) - excludes plug-in hybrid
BMW iX3 (tested 2017, five stars)
BMW X4 (tested 2017, five stars)
Citroen C3 (tested 2017, four stars)
Ford Mustang (tested 2017, three stars)
Jaguar E-Pace (tested 2017, five stars)
Jaguar F-Pace (tested 2017, five stars)
Jeep Cherokee (tested 2016, five stars)
Kia Stinger (tested 2017, five stars)
Kia Picanto (tested 2017, four stars)
Land Rover Discovery (tested 2017, five stars)
Mazda CX-5 (tested 2017, five stars)
Mazda CX-9 (tested 2016, five stars)
Mazda MX-5 (tested 2016, five stars)
Mercedes-Benz C-Class Cabriolet (tested 2017, five stars) - C200, C300 only
Mini Countryman (tested 2017, five stars) - Cooper D diesel only
Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross (tested 2017, five stars)
Range Rover Velar (tested 2017, five stars) - excludes plug-in hybrid, SV V8
Renault Koleos (tested 2017, five stars)
Skoda Karoq (tested 2017, five stars)
Skoda Kodiaq (tested 2017, five stars)
Subaru Impreza (tested 2016, five stars)
Toyota C-HR (tested 2017, five stars)
Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series single-cab (tested 2016, five stars)
Volkswagen Arteon (tested 2017, five stars)
Volkswagen T-Roc (tested 2017, five stars)
Volvo XC60 (tested 2017, five stars) - excludes plug-in hybrid