Mitsubishi Lancer and Hyundai i30 get five-star safety rating
4 Jun, 2008
23 Comments 
The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) has today announced that the Hyundai i30 and the Mitsubishi Lancer have both received a five-star safety rating. If you remember, we attended the crash test for the Mitsubishi Lancer so we are not surprised by the results.
The ratings are great news for buyers looking for affordable but safe cars as both the Lancer and i30 cost less than $30,000 and achieve better results than some cars worth twice as much.
“What we are now seeing is the provision of the latest vehicle safety features in cars below $30,000 – which is great news for consumers,” ANCAP Chairman, Lauchlan McIntosh said.
In order to achieve a five-star safety rating in ANCAP, manufacturers must donate a car for a pole test, which has resulted in many manufacturers refusing to participate. Despite popular belief, ANCAP buys all vehicles from the manufacturer for other tests.
The Mitsubishi Lancer which received the five-star rating was the top of line VRX with head-protecting side curtain airbags and Electronic Stability Control (ESC) – both of which are prerequisites for a five-star rating under ANCAP’s rating methodology. Lancers without side protection scored four stars.
The Hyundai i30 was essentially the same with the top-spec, which included side curtain airbags and ESC, receiving five stars after Hyundai fixed an issue with the vehicle’s knee impact area. The lower spec i30 scored four stars.
The issue to tackle now is the inclusion of curtain airbags and ESC as standard equipment to all models. It would almost seem logical for the government to make these features mandatory on all new passenger cars.
At the same time EuroNCAP has rated the Renault Laguna III and Holden Astra – both with side curtains and ESC - five-stars while four-star went to the recently launched Kia Rondo with side curtains, and base-model Ford Focus with chest-protecting side airbags.
Furthermore, it would seem that manufacturers have been so obsessed with gaining a five-star safety rating that they have forgotten about pedestrians. The Lancer, i30, Laguna and Focus earned two stars out of four for pedestrian protection and the Rondo and Astra managed only one star.
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June 4th, 2008 at 7:27 am
It goes to show you don’t need expensive cars to receive 5 stars.
Cheers !
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June 4th, 2008 at 7:27 am
“The Hyundai i30 was essentially the same with the top-spec which included side curtains and ESC receiving five stars after Hyundai fixed an issue with the vehicle’s knee impact area.”
Any info on this ‘fix’? Wondering if it’s something simple that I should ask for at my i30’s next service.
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June 4th, 2008 at 8:30 am
i think you guys need to look at the title of the story
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June 4th, 2008 at 9:32 am
A Hyundai with 5 stars!!! And theres me thinking the only time you would see 5 stars in a Hyundai is if you hit a lamp post. I guess they have truly come of age.
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June 4th, 2008 at 9:36 am
I agree with the manufacturers not wasting much time and money on the pedestrian rating.
To develop these cheap cars to reach 4 or 5 on the pedestrian result would see them priced with the VWs, BMs, etc.
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June 4th, 2008 at 9:54 am
maybe we should invest more money so cars dont hit people instead of wasting money if it does happen.
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June 4th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
When people stay off roads, cars won’t hit them.
Therefore no need for billions to be spent which we all have to pay for.
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June 4th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
I like the comparison (stars) between the top and bottom of each model. It gives you an idea, if you are interested in safety, what to option up on your car. And I think the rating of injury to pedestrians is also great.
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June 4th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
I was under the impression that the lancer was already rated at 5 stars, that must have been in europe though. Good to see that australia’s testing gives the same results as the european testing. Good to know that if i have a stack in my lancer i have a reasonable chance of walking away from it!
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June 4th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Pedestrian rating is well and good but what is the point if it is allowed to be negated by after market accessories such as bull or nudge bars and altering ride height of the vehicle etc?
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June 4th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
Both nice small safe cars.Like the Lancer has some Alfa 156 styling cues.
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June 4th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Glad to see the Lancer and i30 performing so well in the crash tests. I wonder what the Falcon would be like…
If i am not wrong the Commodore is a 4 star? But then its been in the market for about 2 yrs…
Does anyone know the results for the current barina and viva? jus curious…
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June 4th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Si1982 - the commodore is only 4 star because they refused to provide a vehicle for the pole test, otherwise it would be a 5 star car. Current Barina is 3 star i think, originally the sedan scored 2 stars but it was subsequently re-tested at 3 stars, still not very good. Don’t know what the Viva is
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June 4th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
“Does anyone know the results for the current barina and viva? jus curious…”
Don’t know about the Barina re-test but if you go to the ancap.com.au website you’ll see all the results. Its currently showing the Barina as 2 stars and the Viva as 4. The Barina would score 5 stars if the pole in the pole test was made of jelly.
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June 4th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
I thought i had read in a wheels mag that they had restested the barina sedan and gave it 3, but could be wrong. Either way if you want to buy a safe car then don’t but one regardless
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June 4th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
This is why I dont trust ANCAP. Euro NCAP gave the i30 4 stars (still very good) but it shows differences. The Barina gets 2 stars by the way and the Barina Sedan (Cheverolet Aveo) only gets one and a half stars by Euro NCAPs testing! What I dont get is that by Holdens standards today, the Daewoo Lanos would be the Barina if they were still making it and in 1998, the Lanos got two and half stars in a crash test! Bit odd. You should be geneally safe in either of these cars though - especially the Lancer. Euro NCAP havn’t tested the Lancer yet but when they do, it probablly will get 5 stars because of the build quality and all the airbags.
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June 4th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
Great small cars, good results.
Rich - why did Holden refuse to give a car for the pole test?
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June 4th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
Joober i dont know the exact reason but i read that Toyota also didnt give one for the Aurion.
Holden should now since the 6 airbags are std and a 5 star result would prettyy much be in the bag now.
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June 5th, 2008 at 1:08 am
Alex the euroncap tested the i30 without side airbags from memory which would explain the results
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June 5th, 2008 at 1:58 am
Thank for saying Alborz. However, There are often differences between Euro NCAP and ANCAP when the airbag count and positing is exactly the same.
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June 5th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Happy to answer your enquiries and clear up a lot of misconceptions about ANCAP. Send me your questions at ancap@ancap.com.au
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June 5th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
No, Holden wouldn’t have gotten 5 stars with the side pole test in the Commodore. It scored less points than the Toyota Aurion, and even with the side pole test and maximum points scored, the Toyota Aurion would have missed out on a 5-star ANCAP rating by less than one point.
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June 5th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
Alex, LHD and RHD have been known to make small differences to the test results. The steering wheel and pedals swap sides, but the bits under the bonnet that don’t relate to steering and controls stay put, y’see.
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