Renault questions value of ANCAP ratings

The first carmaker to throw its weight behind independent safety testing in Australia is now questioning the value of ANCAP star ratings. Renault, which has been a long-term five-star maker, now says the Australasian New-Car Assessment Program is going down a blind alley by pursuing a unique local agenda at a time when Australian cars are less and less popular with consumers.

Its attack turns on ANCAP's decision to downgrade its upcoming Captur SUV to a four-star ranking, after a five-star result in Europe, because it will not be fitted with rear airbags. “They are pushing themselves off to obscurity,” the managing director of Renault Australia, Justin Hocevar, tells Carsguide.

“I think ANCAP is at risk of misleading Australians. It is encouraging Australians to buy a car that could be of a lower safety standard, yet have a higher airbag count. That's the shame.” Hocevar says he has asked ANCAP for answers to a range of questions but is yet to get a satisfactory reply.

“We're asking them to please come and justify, with data from Australia, why they have a right to second-guess EuroNCAP. With fewer and fewer locally-made cars, what are they testing? And why would they differ?

“EuroNCAP crash tests far more vehicles every year than ANCAP. And it's one that is moving forward. Not one putting out papers and then deviating from the rest of the world.

“They have essentially refused to answer any of our enquiries. They seem to prefer a public debate through the press, instead of responding with data-driven answers.”

Renault has already achieved matching five-star ratings from EuroNCAP and ANCAP for its baby Clio, which does not have rear airbags, but that car was introduced before the 2014 start date for a new ANCAP requirement for five-star cars.

It's part of a safety roadmap that tightens the requirements and demands extra safety equipment for a five-star score in coming years. “It does call into question what vehicles will be rated in the future. They have already given five stars to a number of vehicles that do not have rear airbags.”

Hocevar says he intends to promote the Captur as a five-star vehicle, regardless of the ANCAP score. “As far as we're concerned, we're going to communicate that the car is a five-star car and that it's a EuroNCAP rating.

“From our point of view, the message is clear. We don't want to mislead anyone. They (ANCAP) may take a view that the vehicle is downgraded, but we will communicate that it's with the most relevant testing authority.”

Hocevar also intends to confirm to shoppers that the Captur, like the Clio, was designed without rear airbags because they are not needed to achieve five-stars. “We have not de-contented the Captur. It was designed and built with a number of airbags and it achieved the highest possible safety rating.

“A car with less-robust design and construction could have a bunch of airbags and not get five stars. That's where customers are potentially being misled.” Hocevar admits that he could avoid an ANCAP confrontation by advancing the Captur's Australian on-sale date into the back end of 2013, but he does not intend to be that mischievous.

“Yes, I could just stick one on a plane, bring it out and then tell them it's been launched,” Hoceva laughs. “But I'm not going to put the launch of the vehicle ahead of schedule just to get a better ANCAP score, when I think it's so misguided.”

This reporter is on Twitter: @paulwardgover