Chinese Toyota LandCruiser rival’s safety credentials revealed in latest round of ANCAP scores

The Denza B8 large plug-in hybrid off-roader and Hyundai’s Elexio mid-size electric SUV are the latest vehicles to be awarded a maximum five star rating for crash safety.

The highly-anticipated Denza B8 from BYD’s luxury arm was awarded the maximum rating, with scores of 86 per cent for adult occupant protection, 95 per cent for child occupant protection, 75 per cent for vulnerable road user protection, and 78 per cent for safety assist.

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According to the safety body, it reviewed “comprehensive technical documentation” on the comparable safety performance between the two models and that was relied on for much of the score, but further testing was required “due to design differences at the front of the vehicle”, resulting in a vulnerable road user score slightly higher than the B5.

The B5 PHEV, which is closer in size to a Toyota Prado, was physically crashed by ANCAP in 2025 and also scored a maximum five ANCAP stars.

The B5 is priced from $74,990, while the B8 starts from $91,000 before on-road costs.

Meanwhile, Hyundai’s incoming Elexio mid-size SUV, which is the first Hyundai model to be built in China for the Australian market, also received a maximum five stars, with scores of 88 per cent for adult occupant protection, 86 per cent for child occupant protection, 77 per cent for vulnerable road user protection, and 85 per cent for safety assist.

Again, the Elexio was not destructively crash-tested by the safety body, but “following a thorough assessment of technical evidence” was awarded a crash-test score based on that of the Kia EV5 with which it shares a platform.

The EV5 was destructively tested by ANCAP, and was also rewarded a maximum five-star ANCAP score in 2024.

Interestingly, the Elexio scored higher than the EV5 in the areas of vulnerable road user protection and safety assist.

The Hyundai Elexio comes in a single variant priced at $59,990 drive-away, while the EV5 is available in a range of variants priced from $56,770 before on-roads.

The ratings for the B8 and Elexio come after a slew of recent five-star scores, with maximum ratings applied to the Geely Starray, Kia EV4 and Leapmotor B10.