Five stars for three cars

Three models have been awarded five safety stars by ANCAP – the Volkswagen Polo, and Lexus’ CT200h and IS. The Polo has held the top rating since 2010 with models from August 2014 offering extra safety-assist technologies, such as emergency stop signal and secondary brake-collision assist as standard. However, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control (ACC), fatigue detection and reversing collision avoidance are unavailable on the base model Polo. The Lexus CT200h has held a five-star rating since its Australasian release in 2011. Standard safety features on models built from December 2013 include reversing collision avoidance, emergency stop signal and a smart key that can restrict certain operations, such as maximum speed. As with the Polo, however, ACC and AEB are unavailable on the base variant. Lexus IS models have attained five ANCAP stars from April 2013. The IS achieved top whiplash protection and pedestrian protection scores. All variants have an active bonnet. When involved in a crash, it rises to provide extra clearance between the bonnet’s surface and the engine to protect the pedestrian’s head. More expensive IS variants have AEB, ACC, lane-support systems and blind-spot monitoring. Lauchlan McIntosh, ANCAP’s chairman, says: “Each model offers a respectable range of safety-assist technologies. However, as with a number of other vehicles we’ve tested recently, we’re seeing the majority of these important technologies being withheld from base variants or not being available at all. “If we are to see a significant drop in the number of lives lost on our roads, these technologies need to be provided to all. Safety should not be seen as a luxury or added extra.”