A pair of Mini models and a European family SUV are the latest cars to be awarded top marks in the most recent round of crash safety testing.
The second-generation Skoda Kodiaq that has just gone on sale in Australia was awarded the maximum five-star rating from the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP).
The seven-seat family SUV scored consistently well across the four main assessment categories, recording 89 per cent for Adult Occupant Protection, 87 per cent for Child Occupant Protection, 82 per cent for Vulnerable Road User Protection and 81 per cent for Safety Assist.
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ANCAP says the Kodiaq’s rating applies to all model grades.
The Kodiaq comes with an extensive standard safety list across variants, including auto emergency braking (AEB) with car-to-car, vulnerable road user, junction and crossing, backover and head-on functionality, a lane support system with lane keep assist, lane departure warning and emergency lane keeping and an advanced speed assistance system.
ANCAP warned, however, the Kodiaq lacks top tether anchorage points for the third row and therefore does not recommend installing child restraints in the rear seating row.
The Kodiaq is a large seven-seat SUV that competes with the likes of the Kia Sorento, Hyundai Santa Fe, Mazda CX-80 and Toyota Kluger.
Mini scored two five-star ratings from ANCAP, one for the electric version of the Mini Cooper three-door hatch and the other for the Countryman SUV.
The Countryman went on sale last year Down Under and the top rating covers petrol and electric grades of the BMW X1 cousin.
The small SUV also scored consistently, with 83 per cent for Adult Occupant Protection, 86 per cent for Child Occupant Protection, 81 per cent for Vulnerable Road User Protection and 83 per cent for Safety Assist.
Mini’s new-generation electric Cooper hatch also scored highly for Adult Occupant Protection (89 per cent), Child Occupant Protection (83 per cent) and Safety Assist (83 per cent), but lost some points for Vulnerable Road User Protection (77 per cent).
The petrol version of the new Mini Cooper is currently unrated. That model is built on a heavily revised version of the previous-gen Cooper’s BMW Group 'UKL' platform, whereas the electric Cooper rides on a bespoke platform developed by BMW and Chinese giant GWM.
