The BYD Shark 6 Premium dual-cab ute has reserved a place in local automotive history as the first petrol-electric plug-in hybrid ute to go on sale in Australia.
Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series gets 5-star ANCAP rating, with a catch
ANCAP has awarded Toyota’s 300 Series LandCruiser a five-star safety rating but recommends against fitting child seats/capsules in the third row of seven-seat versions.
Testing by ANCAP indicated the large SUV offered good protection for children, with an overall rating of 88 per cent.
The report does state that “top tether anchorages are not available in the third row and installation of child restraints is not recommended in these seats”.
It also cautions that not all child seats could be safely installed in the second row, noting “installation of typical child restraints available in Australia and New Zealand showed most child restraints could be accommodated in most second-row seating positions, though one of the selected Type A convertible seats could not be correctly installed in rearward facing mode using the ISOfix anchorages”.
The LandCruiser was the first vehicle to be tested in 2022 and ANCAP says it performed well in all assessed areas.
A score of 81 per cent in the vulnerable road user category is the second-highest to date under ANCAP’s latest testing regime.
The independent vehicle safety organisation notes the Toyota showed good performance in all forward pedestrian autonomous emergency braking tests, leading chief executive officer, Calra Hoorweg, to say: “The protection the Toyota LandCruiser offers to vulnerable road users, including pedestrians and cyclists, is impressive for a large SUV.”
Adult occupant protection was scored at 89 per cent, though the high-riding and heavy LandCruiser was penalised for presenting a higher risk to occupants of an oncoming vehicle.
Ms Hoorweg says that "larger, heavier vehicles always present higher risks for other road users and this is why ANCAP focuses on a vehicle’s ability to either avoid a crash, or reduce its impact, through our suite of Safety Assist tests.”
“The safety specifications in the new generation Toyota LandCruiser are a welcome update to its predecessor.” “The five-star ANCAP safety rating will be good news for fleet buyers, rural users, and families across Australia and New Zealand.”
The Toyota LandCruiser is fitted with eight airbags. ANCAP notes that while it lacks a centre airbag between the driver and front passenger, “the prevention of excursion (movement towards the other side of the vehicle) in the far side impact tests was assessed as good, and full points were awarded”.
In terms of safety assist, the LandCruiser earned a score of 77 per cent. The emergency lane keeping assist was deemed “poor” on roads without lane markings but operated well when it could detect a white line.
It is worth noting that blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert aren’t available on the base GX variant.
The five-star safety rating applies to all versions of the Toyota LandCruiser except the GR Sport.
The information provided is general advice only. Before making any decisions please consider your own circumstances and the Product Disclosure Statement and Target Market Determinations. For copies, visit racv.com.au. As distributor, RACV Insurance Services Pty Ltd AFS Licence No. 230039 receives commission for each policy sold or renewed. Product issued by Insurance Manufacturers of Australia Pty Ltd ABN 93 004 208 084 AFS Licence No. 227678.