EV tops safety ladder

The Model Y achieved the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle assessed by ANCAP in 2025, recording strong performances across all areas of occupant protection and active safety technology.

It’s the second time Tesla’s EV has taken top spot with the pre-facelifted Model Y coming first on the ladder in 2022.

Each year, ANCAP identifies the strongest-performing vehicles based on a weighted sum of scores across four pillars of assessment – adult and child-occupant protection, vulnerable road-user protection and safety assist.

The results reflect the increasing availability of high levels of performance across a broad range of model types, and the Model Y achieved the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle assessed by ANCAP in 2025, recording strong performance across the four areas.

In a year with several highly anticipated new utes released on both sides of the Tasman, the Toyota Hilux achieved the top score for a utility vehicle.

The safest nameplates in other vehicle categories were the Tesla Model 3 – medium car, Volvo EX90 – large SUV, MG IM5 – large car, MG S5 EV – small SUV and the Mini Cooper E – light/small car.

“Our testing continues to reinforce a clear message – the safest vehicles are those designed with safety as a system, not a checklist,” says Carla Hoorweg, ANCAP’s chief executive officer.

“The top performers delivered consistent results across physical crash protection, crash avoidance and vulnerable road-user safety, rather than relying on strength in a single area.

“We’re also seeing increasing alignment between ANCAP’s test requirements and the safety technologies that genuinely matter on Australian and New Zealand roads. Improvements in autonomous emergency braking, lane support and driver-monitoring systems are translating into more robust protection in everyday driving.

“The breadth of top performers shows high levels of safety are achievable across multiple vehicle segments, giving consumers clearer choices when safety is a priority.”