Kodiaq, Countryman, Q2 and Q5 score five star ANCAP

The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) has released results from its latest round of safety testing, with models from Audi, Mini and Skoda picking up the maximum five-star rating.

Mini's second-generation Countryman – which went on sale in March – has made significant strides in structural performance over its four-star predecessor which led to the small SUV's improved safety rating. Only Cooper D variants are covered by the top rating.

Mini has been buoyed by its Countryman's improvement in ANCAP crash testing, with the new model earning a top score.

Having achieved a score of 34.35 out of a maximum 38 points – which was the lowest among the four vehicles assessed – the Mini especially excelled in the side impact and pole tests.

Skoda's Kodiaq – which will enter the mid-size SUV segment later this week – will have its result apply to all 4x4 variants, with Skoda Australian importing the petrol-powered 132TSI initially until it is joined later in the year by the 140TDI oil-burner.

The Czech carmaker's latest model netted a 35.26 out of 38 score, with near-perfect results in the full-width frontal, side impact and pole tests. However, the performance of the Kodiaq's safety systems was average, with 6.53 out of a maximum 12 points achieved in this category.

Meanwhile, it was a clean sweep for Audi with its compact Q2 and mid-size Q5 SUVs earning a top mark for all of their respective model grades – including the performance-focused SQ5. This follows the Q2's release in February, and precedes the Q5's on-sale date next month.

The compact Q2 earned a top mark for its model grade.

Achieving an overall score of 35.55 out of 38, the Q2 best performed in the side impact and pole tests where it was the given maximum eight points.

Comparatively, the Q5 pipped its little brother at the post with a 35.67 out of 38 result. Similarly, it received top marks for the side impact test, but just fell short on the pole test.

All four vehicles saw their poorest results come from the lack of a lane support system (LSS), which resulted in no scores being registered for this area.

The Q5 received top marks for the side impact test.

Nevertheless, ANCAP CEO James Goodwin praised the four European manufacturers for identifying the need to include safety technologies like auto emergency braking (AEB) as standard in new models.

"Consumers should be buoyed by these ratings which show brands are keeping pace with increasing safety standards," he said.

ANCAP recently announced that, from January 1 next year, vehicles will not be awarded a five-star rating unless they include several safety items like AEB as part of their standard features.

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