Australia's safest new car! 2022 Subaru Outback resets benchmarks for ANCAP testing to go beyond coveted five-star rating

The title of Australia’s safest new vehicle has changed hands, with the sixth-generation Subaru Outback resetting the benchmarks in three of ANCAP’s four testing categories while on the way to earning its maximum five-star rating, which applies range-wide from MY21.

Assessed against ANCAP’s strict 2020-2022 criteria, the new high-riding large wagon scored a record 91 per cent for Child Occupant Protection, 84 per cent for Vulnerable Road User Protection and 96 per cent for Safety Assist, with the later seven per cent higher than the next best.

While not unprecedented, the Outback also recorded a very strong 88 per cent for Adult Occupant Protection, including perfect results in the Side Impact at 60km/h and Oblique Pole at 32km/h crash tests, which were among those conducted by ANCAP’s European counterpart, Euro NCAP.

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ANCAP CEO Carla Hoorweg said: “The Subaru Outback has comprehensively impressed, achieving the highest scores we’ve seen so far, when testing to our current protocols.”

Meanwhile, Toyota’s second-generation hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicle (FCEV), the Mirai large sedan, has also been given a five-star rating by ANCAP, despite its ultra-limited fleet availability.

Toyota’s second-generation hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicle, the Mirai, has been given a five-star rating by ANCAP.

The Mirai was also assessed 88 per cent for Adult Occupant Protection as well as 87 per cent for Child Occupant Protection, 80 per cent for Vulnerable Road User Protection (the second highest return to date) and 83 per cent for Safety Assist.

Ms Hoorweg said: “The results achieved by the Toyota Mirai are to be commended, showing safety and environmental benefits can and should go hand-in-hand.”