Stellar safety news for ute and small car buyers

Small car buyers and ute buyers are the winners, following today’s announcement by the AA and the New Zealand Transport Agency that the Hyundai i30 and Holden Colorado have scored the best safety rating possible in the latest Australasian New Car Assessment Programme (ANCAP) crash testing.

The 5 star ANCAP safety rating for the new Holden Colorado is a significant improvement on the previous model. The Colorado now joins the Ford Ranger, Mazda BT-50, Volkswagen Amarok, Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon utility vehicles in the 5 star safety range, while the second-generation Hyundai i30 hatch retains its place as one of the safest choices within the small car category. The 5 star rating applies to both the 1.6 litre diesel and 1.8 litre petrol variants of the i30.

AA Motoring Services General Manager, Stella Stocks, says today’s news is pleasing given buyers of utility vehicles traditionally had little choice when it came to buying a five-star vehicle.

'Manufacturers have realised the importance of vehicle safety and are providing consumers with a broader range of safe vehicles across every vehicle category,' says Ms Stocks.

NZTA Chief Executive Geoff Dangerfield encouraged car buyers to take advantage of free vehicle safety information available on-line to make sure they purchase the safest vehicle they can afford.

'Look for vehicles with a top safety rating and compare them on our RightCar website. This information doesn’t cost a thing, but it could save your life or prevent serious injuries in a crash,' Mr Dangerfield said.

The Subaru BRZ sports coupe, which is due on the New Zealand market towards the end of the year, also performed well in all ANCAP tests and secured a 5 star safety rating. The BRZ is equipped with front, side, head and knee airbags and reaffirms Subaru’s dedication to maximum safety across its range.

ANCAP is supported by all Australian and New Zealand motoring clubs, the Australian Government, the New Zealand Government, all Australian state governments, the Victorian Transport Accident Commission, NRMA Insurance and the FIA Foundation.

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