Tesla Model Y is judged the safest car in Australia for 2025 as ANCAP reveals the top safety performers across SUV, ute and passenger car segments – and all except Toyota HiLux are Chinese-built EVs.
Safety
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The safest medium SUVs in Australia: ANCAP Top 10 for 2025
Medium SUVs are the best-selling new vehicles in Australia, but which model is safest? Here are the top 10 safety performers for 2025 judged by ANCAP, including the top-selling Tesla Model Y and BYD Sealion 7 EVs.
Medium SUV is the single most popular new vehicle segment in Australia and has become so important to every brand competing in our market – from newcomers to those which are long established – that the model choices have skyrocketed and prices have become super-competitive.
This prompts many buyers to ask: “Which SUVs are the safest?” – even when many of the 65-plus different medium SUV models in new vehicle showrooms across Australia carry the same maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating.
The overall ANCAP rating and the year when the car was tested (due to ever-strengthening testing protocols) is a great place to start. But now the leading independent safety authority has provided RACV with a list of the top-performing medium SUVs assessed in 2025 – all of which are rated with five stars.
To separate them, ANCAP has homed in on its four pillars of assessment in 2025 – Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection, Vulnerable Road User Protection and ‘Safety Assist’ (advanced driver assistance systems) – and applied weighted scores that place a high emphasis on physical crash protection.
That gives us the top 10 safest medium SUVs in 2025, as tested by ANCAP, which cover leading mainstream and premium brands, a range of powertrain types (petrol, hybrid and full electric) and some of the most popular models in this segment, including the Tesla Model Y and the BYD Sealion 7 EVs. Let’s count them down…
More: Research and compare new cars, SUVs and utes on sale today in Australia
10. Mitsubishi Outlander
Adult Occupant Protection: 85%
Child Occupant Protection: 84%
Vulnerable Road User Protection: 79%
Safety Assist: 70%
Overall weighted score: 80.6%
This was the second round of testing for the fourth-generation Mitsubishi Outlander (launched in November 2021), reflecting significant safety updates introduced during 2025 including improvements to restraints, centre airbag effectiveness and anti-whiplash performance. There is also now expanded functionality for lane support and autonomous emergency braking (AEB) systems, the latter including turning and motorcycle detection scenarios. Outlander scored well in most areas but was well below the best performer in class for driver assist safety technology features and performance (Safety Assist). The rating applies to Mitsubishi Outlander petrol models built from April 2025 and PHEV models from July 2025.
Research & compare Mitsubishi Outlander models on sale: specs, features, running costs, safety
The Mitsubishi Outlander remains a solid safety performer with improvements introduced in 2025.
9. Chery Tiggo 7
Adult Occupant Protection: 82%
Child Occupant Protection: 86%
Vulnerable Road User Protection: 80%
Safety Assist: 82%
Overall weighted score: 82.4%
The Chery Tiggo 7 received five stars from ANCAP in 2023, but a major update in 2025 prompted another round of testing that extended to new plug-in hybrid (Super Hybrid) variants. European NCAP testing in mid-2025 resulted in a four-star rating due to the side curtain airbag deploying incorrectly and failing to provide full protection to rear seat occupants, but the manufacturing issue was subsequently resolved and the rating upgraded to five stars. This has helped inform ANCAP’s assessment, which found good levels of safety performance across the board for both petrol and PHEV variants. The rating applies to current Chery Tiggo 7 SUVs built from June 30, 2025.
Research & compare Chery Tiggo 7 models on sale: specs, features, running costs, safety
Despite an issue discovered in Euro NCAP testing, the Chery Tiggo 7 has maintained a good level of occupant protection with the latest upgrades.
8. Audi Q5
Adult Occupant Protection: 85%
Child Occupant Protection: 86%
Vulnerable Road User Protection: 79%
Safety Assist: 80%
Overall weighted score: 83.0%
One of the most popular medium SUVs in the premium class (over $60,000), the Audi Q5 is now in its third generation and impressed in ANCAP testing with its ability to prevent a crash. Perfect scores were awarded for the Q5’s performance in forward, junction and T-bone crossing autonomous emergency braking (AEB) tests, as well as AEB motorcyclist protection tests. There was, however, a relatively high penalty applied for vehicle-to-vehicle compatibility in the frontal offset test, with the Q5 assessed as being a higher risk to an oncoming vehicle. The rating applies to all Audi Q5 and SQ5 variants built from February 2025 (on sale from July 2025).
Research & compare Audi Q5 models on sale: specs, features, running costs, safety
The new Audi Q5 performed well in most crash scenarios, including side impact, but was penalised in the frontal offset test.
7. BYD Sealion 7
Adult Occupant Protection: 87%
Child Occupant Protection: 93%
Vulnerable Road User Protection: 76%
Safety Assist: 78%
Overall weighted score: 84.2%
The BYD Sealion 7 is second only to the Tesla Model Y as the most popular EV in Australia, racking up more than 13,000 sales in 2025 and performing well across ANCAP’s key safety assessment areas – including 87% for adult occupant protection where the SUV achieved full points for side impact, oblique pole and far side impact tests. There was, however, weak chest protection to the rear passenger’s chest in the full width crash test. Child occupant protection was outstanding at 93%. The rating applies to current BYD Sealion 7 models built from January 2025 onwards.
Research & compare BYD Sealion 7 models on sale: specs, features, running costs, safety
The BYD Sealion 7 passenger compartment remained stable in the frontal offset test, but the EV did lose points for occupant lower leg protection.
6. Cupra Terramar
Adult Occupant Protection: 89%
Child Occupant Protection: 87%
Vulnerable Road User Protection: 82%
Safety Assist: 78%
Overall weighted score: 85.0%
The sporty Cupra Terramar SUV offers a well-rounded package of occupant protection and crash protection. It achieved commendable results in the physical crash tests, with maximum points awarded for driver protection in the full width and side impact tests. Full points were also achieved for child occupant protection in the frontal offset and side impact crash tests, while marginal chest protection was observed for the adult passenger seated in the second row in the full width frontal test. The Safety Assist score was lower because its autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system does not function in reverse. The rating applies to petrol-powered and plug-in hybrid Cupra Terramar variants built from November 2024 and sold in Australia from April 2025.
Research & compare Cupra Terramar models on sale: specs, features, running costs, safety
The Cupra Terramar received full points for child occupant protection in this frontal offsest crash test.
5. Geely EX5
Adult Occupant Protection: 86%
Child Occupant Protection: 87%
Vulnerable Road User Protection: 83%
Safety Assist: 85%
Overall weighted score: 85.4%
The battery-electric Geely EX5 delivers good overall safety performance, returning solid crash test results in most scenarios for the new Chinese brand’s first model in Australia. (It has since followed up with the Geely Starray EM-i PHEV mid-size SUV, which also performed well in ANCAP testing.) In the frontal offset test, which simulates a head-on collision, several welds around the base of the EX5’s front pillar became detached. Geely demonstrated that the EV’s structure did not incur significantly greater damage in a more severe test, however a penalty was applied to the scoring. Overall, ANCAP deemed the EX5’s rating as a “confident entrance into the Australian and New Zealand markets”. The rating applies to current Geely EX5 variants built from January 2025 onwards.
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This is how the Geely EX5 looked after a side impact collision at 60km/h conducted by Euro NCAP.
4. GWM Haval H7
Adult Occupant Protection: 89%
Child Occupant Protection: 91%
Vulnerable Road User Protection: 81%
Safety Assist: 80%
Overall weighted score: 86.0%
The GWM Haval H7 hybrid SUV demonstrated sound performance across ANCAP’s crash protection and crash avoidance assessments. However, during the full width frontal crash test, the driver’s seat head restraint unexpectedly dislodged from the seat back. This was not being measured as part of the ANCAP assessment, but identification of the issue prompted GWM to conduct a safety recall of all Haval H7 vehicles sold in Australia. The ANCAP rating for the Haval H7 applies only to vehicles built from October 15, 2025. For vehicles built prior to this date, the rating will only apply where the recall action has been completed.
Research & compare GWM Haval H7 models on sale: specs, features, running costs, safety
You can see the driver’s headrest becoming detached in the GWM Haval H7 full-frontal crash test at 50km/h, which prompted a safety recall.
3. Polestar 4
Adult Occupant Protection: 92%
Child Occupant Protection: 87%
Vulnerable Road User Protection: 81%
Safety Assist: 79%
Overall weighted score: 86.2%
The new battery-electric Polestar 4 premium SUV proved to be the best performer in class for adult occupant protection (92%). It was awarded full points for driver protection in the side impact and oblique pole crash tests and for adult passengers in the frontal offset and full width frontal crash tests. Maximum scores were also recorded for child occupant protection in the frontal offset and side impact crash tests. The Polestar 4 also performed well across ANCAP’s range of on-track emergency braking and lane support system tests in scenarios designed to test the EV’s ability to avoid crashes with other cars, pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. The rating applies to current Polestar 4 models built from August 2024 (on sale from November 2024).
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The Polestar 4 proved to be a standout for adult occupant protection in ANCAP and Euro NCAP crash testing.
2. MG IM6
Adult Occupant Protection: 90%
Child Occupant Protection: 91%
Vulnerable Road User Protection: 83%
Safety Assist: 79%
Overall weighted score: 86.6%
The new premium MG IM6 EV achieved high scores across ANCAP’s assessment criteria, making it one of the safest medium SUVs on sale in Australia. It performed strongly in all crash tests, achieving one of the highest frontal offset test scores under the 2023-2025 protocols (7.54 points out of 8.00). ANCAP said this was accomplished through impressive occupant protection results in this test, and by the IM6 EV’s lower ‘compatibility’ risk – the risk the car poses to an oncoming vehicle in a crash. The rating applies to current MG IM6 variants built from April 2025 onwards.
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The MG IM6 might look a mess after a 50km/h frontal offset crash, but it was found to offer high occupant protection.
1. Tesla Model Y
Adult Occupant Protection: 91%
Child Occupant Protection: 95%
Vulnerable Road User Protection: 86%
Safety Assist: 92%
Overall weighted score: 91.0%
The Tesla Model Y EV is rated the safest medium SUV in Australia in 2025 – and the safest car in any class, having outperformed all other vehicles assessed by ANCAP last year. This is the second time the Model Y has achieved this accolade, with the pre-facelifted model awarded ANCAP’s top performer in 2022. In 2025 testing, ANCAP highlighted the latest Model Y’s exceptional adult and child protection scores, as well as its industry benchmark result for Safety Assist technology. The latter includes autonomous emergency braking (AEB) in intersection and head-on scenarios, as well as driver monitoring and lane support systems. The rating applies to current Tesla Model Y EVs built from February 2025 (on sale from May 2025).
Research & compare Tesla Model Y models on sale: specs, features, running costs, safety
Australia’s top-selling EV, the Tesla Model Y, was the safest car assessed by ANCAP in 2025.
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