Words: Kyle Cassidy
Published 3 June 2026
Toyota and Subaru’s new electric vehicles have secured top safety honours from ANCAP, with the battery-electric Toyota Hilux, Subaru Trailseeker and Subaru Uncharted all awarded five-star ratings in the latest round of assessments.
Meanwhile the latest BMW 1 Series and BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe fell short of a five-star score, receiving four-star ratings.
Electric Hilux matches diesel safety credentials
Toyota’s battery-electric Hilux has achieved a five-star ANCAP rating after undergoing additional crash testing to verify the safety of its high-voltage battery system and electrical architecture.
ANCAP carried out further frontal offset and oblique pole tests on the electric ute, specifically examining battery integrity and electrical safety following a crash. The results confirmed the BEV variant offers a comparable level of protection to its diesel-powered counterparts.
As a result, all Toyota Hilux variants currently sold in Australia and New Zealand, with the exception of the Rugged X, now hold a five-star ANCAP rating.
ANCAP Chief Executive Officer Carla Hoorweg said the result was significant as alternative powertrains continue to gain traction in the ute market.
“In an increasing market of alternative-powered utes, business and private buyers now have another option that balances their safety needs with their powertrain considerations.”
Subaru’s new EV pair scores top safety marks
Subaru’s expanding electric vehicle range has also received a safety boost, with both the all-new Trailseeker and Uncharted earning five-star ratings.
The assessments were largely based on the closely related Toyota bZ4X, with ANCAP conducting additional testing and technical analysis to confirm equivalent crash performance and occupant protection.
The ratings provide a strong start for Subaru’s latest EV models, including the recently announced Trailseeker, which is due to arrive in New Zealand later this year.
“The addition of the Trailseeker and Uncharted to Subaru’s growing electric portfolio sees yet more safe choices for consumers,” Hoorweg says.
BMW Pair Settles for Four Stars
While Toyota and Subaru celebrated five-star results, BMW’s latest compact models narrowly missed out on ANCAP’s highest safety rating.
The BMW 1 Series hatchback and BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe both received four-star ratings despite delivering strong performance in crash avoidance and active safety testing.
ANCAP said their overall scores were impacted by mixed results in frontal crash tests. Testing identified an increased risk of chest injuries for the driver during the frontal offset impact, while both the driver and rear-seat passenger faced an elevated chest injury risk in the full-width frontal test.
Assessors also noted that dashboard structures presented a potential upper-leg injury risk to front occupants during the frontal offset crash scenario.
The two BMW models recorded an Adult Occupant Protection score of 78 percent, falling just short of the 80 percent threshold required to achieve a five-star rating under ANCAP’s current assessment criteria.
