About ANCAP

The Australasian New Car Assessment Program, more commonly referred to as ANCAP SAFETY, is Australia and New Zealand's independent voice on vehicle safety.

We crash test cars and conduct performance assessments on safety features and technologies then publish a simple star rating to indicate relative safety performance.

Over the last 30 years we have published independent safety ratings for thousands of new vehicle makes, models and variants. These independent safety ratings are used to compare the relative safety between vehicles of similar size and have become a critical factor in vehicle selection for private consumers and fleet buyers.

ANCAP plays a vital role not only informing consumers of the differences in safety performance of new vehicles entering the Australian and New Zealand vehicle fleets, it also advocates for improved vehicle safety design and specification through public education campaigns, advocacy activities and engagement with governments, corporate fleets, the media and consumers.

New Car Assessment Programs
around the world

ANCAP is one of ten New Car Assessment Programs (NCAPs), or test programs, established around the world to promote safer vehicle choices for consumers. Other test programs are located in, and cover the markets of, Europe, the United States, Japan, Korea, China, Latin America, India and South East Asia.

Just like ANCAP, overseas NCAPs perform a range of tests and assessments on new passenger vehicles. However the test protocols and calculation methods used differ, catering for respective jurisdictional and environmental differences. Safety ratings from overseas test programs should only be used as a guide due to these differences, and the differing specification of vehicle models sold in Australia and New Zealand, compared with those sold in other markets.

To ensure accurate and relevant safety ratings are communicated to all consumers, a Brand Usage Protocol has been agreed between test programs whereby "the logo of the local NCAP only is to be used when advertising NCAP results." The safety ratings published by other test programs cannot therefore be applied to models sold in Australia and New Zealand.