Top safety rating for new Corolla

The brand new 12th generation 2018 Toyota Corolla has hit the New Zealand market with a 5-star safety rating from the Australasia New Car Assessment Programme (ANCAP).

The Corolla hatch, which was introduced in New Zealand this month, performed well against ANCAP’s recently increased testing standard.

ANCAP added new safety testing to its assessment in July which tests the performance and effectiveness of safety assist technologies, and the ability for vehicles to protect a broader range of occupants, including children. 

The Corolla received a particularly high 96 per cent score for adult occupant protection as a result of multiple perfect scores, including for its autonomous emergency braking (AEB) in city driving scenarios and side-impact safety. 

AA Motoring Services General Manager Stella Stocks says it’s fantastic to see such a popular vehicle achieving a top safety rating against ANCAP’s new standards.

“Collision prevention technologies, such as blind spot monitoring (BSM) and lane keep assist (LKA), are no longer just what you can expect in high-end luxury vehicles.

“The Corolla is New Zealand’s highest selling new passenger car, so it’s particularly encouraging to see that the new model is at the forefront of vehicle safety.” 

As well as BSM and LKA, the Corolla comes equipped with three grades of AEB, a speed assistance system (SAS) and dual frontal, side chest-protecting, side head-protecting and driver knee airbags.

The new Ford Endura, which was released in New Zealand in May, has also achieved a 5 star ANCAP safety rating. It received a particularly high 89 per cent score for its safety assist abilities, and a 76 per cent for child occupation protection.

The full list of ANCAP’s vehicle safety ratings, other vehicle safety information and the specifications of the rated vehicles are available online at ancap.co.nz or rightcar.govt.nz.