The safest dual-cab ute you can buy in Australia in 2022

The safest dual-cab ute in Australia is the new-generation Ford Ranger, according to new data compiled as part of Drive's 2022 Dual-Cab Ute Megatest.

In high-spec Wildtrak form, the 2023 Ford Ranger – which debuted in July 2022 as the first new Ranger model in a decade – placed first for safety in our comparison of Australia's eight top-selling dual-cab utes.

In the safety category, the Ranger was followed by the GWM Ute Cannon X in second place, and twins-under-the-skin the Mazda BT-50 SP and Isuzu D-Max X-Terrain, which placed equal third.

Rounding out the top five was the Nissan Navara Pro-4X in fifth place, while the SsangYong Musso XLV Ultimate placed sixth and Australia's perennial top-seller, the Toyota HiLux SR5, came in seventh place.

The model that received the lowest score in the safety category was the Mitsubishi Triton GSR, which placed eighth on the list.

For each model line-up, we assessed variants that were either the highest specification grade or one grade down from the top-spec grade, in line with what is typically the volume-selling variant in the range.

As a result, some of the safety equipment included on the models we tested is not included as standard from the base variant in the line-up.

While dual-cab utes have traditionally been viewed as workhorses, these days they now serve as family haulers, commuter cars, and even weekend getaway cars – necessitating a higher level of safety technology as a result.

As such, Drive's Dual-Cab Megatest assessed each model's safety credentials across 17 key criteria, including the inclusion of active cruise control, the presence of autonomous emergency braking (AEB), and the vehicle's star-rating from Australia's independent safety body, the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP).

The Ford Ranger Wildtrak edged ahead of the competition thanks to its comprehensive list of active safety equipment, with advanced features like AEB that can detect pedestrians and cyclists and function at intersections and in reverse, a 360-degree camera, and active cruise control with stop-and-go functionality.

Coincidentally, the Ranger – which was crowned the overall winner of our Dual-Cab Ute Megatest – was also the newest car in our test.

Meanwhile, the lowest-scoring utes in the safety category tended to be the oldest. The Mitsubishi Triton GSR, which placed eighth, will debut a new generation in 2023, while the Toyota HiLux SR5, which placed seventh, is also expecting a new generation imminently.

The only exception was the SsangYong Musso XLV Ultimate in sixth place, which was last updated in mid-2022.

Similarly, cars were scored based not only on their ANCAP rating, but also the year they received this rating – taking into account the fact ANCAP's testing criteria become more stringent with every passing year.

The SsangYong Musso was the only model not yet tested by ANCAP and, as a result, had two points deducted, while the Mitsubishi Triton and Nissan Navara also lost two points for having been tested before 2018, when ANCAP protocols were harmonised with Euro NCAP protocols and new test and scoring methods were introduced.

Regarding the lack of ANCAP rating, a spokesperson for SsangYong told Drive: “Head Office engineering were looking into the centre rear seatbelt design prior to any potential ANCAP testing. We don’t have any recent updates at this point so are not able to give any timings".

Meanwhile, the cars with the most recent five-star ANCAP ratings were the Ranger, tested in 2022, the GWM Ute, tested in 2021, and the Isuzu D-Max and BT-50, both tested in 2020. 

Ute safety is still catching up to passenger car safety, with several features not yet commonplace across the segment.

Even on some top-spec utes – including the Triton, Navara and Musso – you’ll miss out on active cruise control, with only a basic cruise control set-up offered.

Other safety systems that aren’t yet guaranteed across the segment include tyre pressure monitoring, driver attention alert, reverse AEB, blind-spot camera, safe exit warning, and intelligent speed limit assist.

However, plenty of cars feature surround-view cameras and front and rear parking sensors – in fact, the Nissan Navara is the only car not to feature front parking sensors in addition to rear parking sensors.

While we didn’t score based on airbags, it’s still an important metric to mention. At a minimum, most utes in the segment have seven airbags as standard. The new Ranger, however, has nine airbags, while the D-Max and BT-50 each have eight. The Musso has the fewest number of airbags with only six.

The GWM Ute, Isuzu D-Max, Ford Ranger and Mazda BT-50 all have a centre airbag – a newer type of airbag designed to minimise contact between the two front-seat occupants in the event of a side impact.

“The newest style of airbag is the centre airbag, which is an airbag that usually deploys from the in-board side of the driver’s seat in the front row," ANCAP Chief Executive Officer, Carla Hoorweg, told Drive.

“It’s important to note that centre airbags are not prescribed by ANCAP. Rather, a vehicle manufacturer must achieve minimum performance thresholds in the two far-side impact tests we conduct in order to be eligible for a five-star ANCAP safety rating. 

"The centre airbag, however, is generally the preferred countermeasure vehicle manufacturers are adopting, especially in smaller vehicles.”

First: Ford Ranger Wildtrak

As the newest car in our test, the new-generation Ford Ranger also boasts the highest level of active safety equipment. Its AEB system is the most comprehensive of the group – detecting pedestrians and cyclists and functioning at intersections – and it's the only vehicle in the test to offer reverse AEB.

The Ranger Wildtrak also won points for boasting a 360-degree camera, intelligent speed limiter, traffic sign recognition, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure alert and blind-spot monitoring – all with active intervention – and adaptive cruise control with the ability to come to a stop and then go again.

Its ANCAP rating was issued in 2022, and it was the model fitted with the most airbags – nine in total including front, side, knee, full-length curtains for driver and passenger, and a far-side front driver airbag.

Second: GWM Ute Cannon X

The GWM Ute landed in Australia in 2021 and boasts a five-star ANCAP score from 2021. It was the only ute in our test to feature a safe exit warning – also known as a door open warning – which alerts occupants to approaching hazards before opening the car doors (a feature only available on the Cannon X grade).

On the Cannon X grade, it also boasts blind-spot monitoring with active intervention, front and rear sensors, traffic sign recognition, an intelligent speed limiter, and a lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist.

However, it’s missing a few key technologies like a driver fatigue alert and rear cross-traffic alert, which were fairly common across the rest of the newer utes on test. There are seven airbags, including a centre airbag.

Equal third: Isuzu D-Max X-Terrain and Mazda BT-50 SP

As twins under the skin, it's unsurprising the D-Max and BT-50 claimed equal third place given they share the same features. Their AEB systems were second only to the Ranger’s, with pedestrian and cyclist detection and junction assist, but no reverse AEB.

Both lack a tyre pressure monitoring system, and were two of only three cars to only offer a reverse camera (the third was the Toyota HiLux) in lieu of a full 360-degree camera. 

However, their list of active safety equipment includes a rear cross-traffic alert, front and rear sensors, traffic sign recognition, an intelligent speed limiter, and active cruise control with stop-and-go functionality. Both models also have eight airbags, including a front driver and passenger airbag, a side front airbag, curtain airbags in the front and rear, a driver's knee airbag and far-side driver airbag.