The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) has undertaken a landmark series of safety tests on some of the largest vehicles available to Australian motorists, but has stopped short of crashing the mammoth motors.
In a local first, ANCAP has tested the advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) in big US pickups such as the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, RAM 1500, Toyota Tundra and Ford F-150, as well as put the aging but popular Toyota LandCruiser 79 Series through its paces.
While not subjected to ANCAP’s standard crash tests – which determine how well a vehicle protects its occupants in the event of a collision – the big pickups were all tested on how well they prevent an incident from occurring, with their ADAS technology under the microscope.
The tests come off the back of the pickups rising in market share to more than four per cent, and replacing not only traditional utes on the roads but also light trucks, due to their payload and towing capacities.
However, the sheer size of these vehicles has drawn criticism, given their relatively large blind spots in front and behind drivers, leading to claims they pose a higher risk of incident to other road users.
ANCAP’s inaugural Large Utilities ADAS Safety Comparison included tests of how the pickup’s autonomous emergency braking, lane support and speed limit reminder systems perform.
According to ANCAP, the upcoming updated Ford F-150 – due in Australia next year – was the highest performer with a score of 81 per cent, being the only vehicle in the test to receive a ‘Platinum’ rating. This only applies to the Lariat and Platinum grades, with the XLT missing out.
Second-best was the recently launched Ram 1500, tested in Limited guise and receiving a score of 70 per cent, enough for a ‘Gold’ safety rating.
The big surprise of the test was the performance of the LandCruiser 79 Series, which – despite being 40 years old at its core and fitted with less ADAS systems than the US pickups – earned a ‘Silver’ rating after scoring 55 per cent.
That score was five per cent higher than the more expensive and significantly newer Toyota Tundra, which also received a ‘Silver’ rating with a 50 per cent result.
Finally, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 brought up the rear, with the only V8-powered pickup in the test scoring just 27 per cent, leading to a ‘Bronze’ safety grading.
“Larger vehicles pose a bigger threat to other road users than passenger cars,” said ANCAP CEO, Carla Hoorweg.
“The best way to reduce the potential risk of fatalities and serious injuries from large vehicles is to make sure they do the best possible job at avoiding a crash.
“This first-look comparison establishes a benchmark in safety for the large pickups cohort and provides a path forward for manufacturers of these vehicles in creating better outcomes for road users.
“There is community concern over the size of pickups when they are driving in suburban streets, around schools, and in built-up areas.
“We have applied international best practice in safety testing to this segment to make sure there is an incentive for manufacturers to improve crash avoidance technology.”
“Performance did vary but these results show there is a strong base to build from, and clear opportunity to achieve the performance levels seen in passenger vehicles.”
ANCAP says the inaugural test will help to “inform the development of a framework and roadmap for future testing and assessment”, adding “future phases could potentially extend into physical crash protection, ensuring the full picture of both crash avoidance and crash protection.”
Discussion about this post