Toyota Corolla a five-star performer

The new generation of Australia's best-selling passenger car, the Toyota Corolla, has achieved the maximum five-star rating under tougher new 2018 ANCAP test standards.

Launched earlier this month, the Toyota Corolla hatchback is the third new vehicle to be confirmed with five stars this year by the independent vehicle safety body, following on from the Mazda CX-8 and Volvo XC40 SUVs.

Toyota had forecast a five-star result when it launched Corolla. The rating applies across the range and is based on local crash testing of a right-hand drive petrol-electric hybrid.

Ensuring it was eligible for five stars, all models in the new Toyota Corolla line-up come with a comprehensive driver assistance package that includes autonomous emergency braking and lane keeping assistance.

The Corolla achieved a 96 per cent rating for adult occupant protection, 83 per cent for child occupant protection, 86 per cent for vulnerable road user protection and 76 per cent for safety assist.

The Corolla's scores for vulnerable road user protection and safety assist are the highest reported by ANCAP under the new 2018 testing regime.

"The safety improvements provided in this generation of the Corolla are a significant step forward," said ANCAP Chief Executive, James Goodwin, in a media release.

"The Corolla is a trusted nameplate and Australia and New Zealand's highest selling passenger car, so it is encouraging to see this affordable, volume-seller continue to achieve a high safety standard.

"This result clearly shows safety is not a luxury, with private and corporate fleet buyers able to access high levels of safety as advanced collision prevention technologies become increasingly available.

"Mainstream models, like the Corolla, are now offering advanced speed assistance systems which can read road signs. These systems are the building blocks for automation, and convey the need for vehicle brands, regulators and infrastructure providers to work together to see safety and efficiency benefits realised."

The new Toyota Corolla scored a possible 36.6 points out of a possible 38 for adult occupant protection, achieving maximum points for the side impact, oblique pole and low speed AEB tests.

Its lowest rating was 7.31 out of a possible eight points for the frontal offset test, with only adequate – the highest rating is good – protection offered for the driver's chest and lower legs of both the driver and front passenger. In the new full frontal test, protection was only adequate for the chest of the driver and chest and neck area of the rear passenger.

Child occupant protection was rated 40.91 points out of a possible 49, with the dynamic side test and restraint installation achieving maximum ratings. But on-board safety features was rated at only six out of 13.

In the frontal offset crash-test, protection of the six-year old dummy and neck of both the six and 10-year old dummies was adequate.

The Toyota Corolla scored 41.37 points out of a possible 48 for vulnerable road user protection. The bonnet provided mostly good or adequate protection to the head of a pedestrian, dropping to marginal in some cases at the base of the windscreen.

The AEB system was rated good for its detection of pedestrians in both daylight and at night. Cyclist detection was also rated as good.

The Corolla scored 9.9 out of a possible 13 points for safety assist systems. Interurban AEB performance was rated as good in highway speed scenarios, while the lane support system was adequate. But the lack of blind spot monitoring and reversible seatbelt tightening lowered its score slightly.