Top safety rating for Audi e-tron, Volkswagen T-Cross

The latest round of ANCAP safety ratings are in, and the upcoming Audi e-tron and Volkswagen T-Cross SUVs have both scored full five-star safety ratings.

ANCAP said the Volkswagen T-Cross, an all-new small SUV that goes on sale in Australia in May, provides impressive safety in its sales segment.

“[The T-Cross] achieved 97 per cent for Adult Occupant Protection, with full points scored for the side impact and oblique pole impact tests,” said ANCAP’s Rhianne Robson.

The T-Cross’s autonomous emergency braking (AEB) performance was also strong, with maximum points achieved in low-speed scenarios.

“Functionality of its autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system at higher speeds was given the top rating across all test scenarios and its ability to respond to pedestrians also achieved an overall rating of Good.”

The five-star ANCAP safety rating applies to all VW T-Cross variants, with high scores in all areas including Child Occupant Protection (85 per cent), Vulnerable Road User Protection (cyclists and pedestrians, 81 per cent) and Safety Assist (80 per cent) which covers speed assistance systems, lane support systems etc.

Meanwhile, the all-electric Audi e-tron was also awarded five-star safety, with ANCAP praising its range of safety features and technologies, saying it offers a high level of protection to child occupants.

“A score of 91 per cent was achieved for its protection of adult occupants, yet engineers noted a slight concern for driver chest protection in the oblique pole test”, said Robson.

In other areas, the e-tron scored 71 per cent for Vulnerable Road User Protection, 88 per cent for Child Occupant Protection and 78 per cent for Safety Assist systems.

The e-tron’s safety score covers all variants built from July 2019.

“While vehicle sales are down, SUVs remain the dominant segment, so it is encouraging to see safety continuing to be prioritised.”