Qash test: 2023 Nissan Qashqai the safest small SUV for child occupants, according to ANCAP

The new 2023 Nissan Qashqai has been awarded top marks from ANCAP, taking out five stars and topping the ‘small SUV’ segment for a couple of safety categories.

Having launched in Australia this month, the 2023 Nissan Qashqai will go up against the likes of the Mitsubishi ASX and Hyundai Kona, but its safety rating from ANCAP is an early feather in its cap, and applies to ST, ST+, ST-L, and Ti variants.

While all small SUVs tested by ANCAP have received five stars except for the MG ZS (four stars), the Nissan Qashqai has taken the top spot for its ranking in the category of Child Occupant Protection, and come just short of beating the Tesla Model Y’s top spot in the Safety Assist assessment.

The other two categories weren’t standouts for the Qashqai, with a 91 per cent score for Adult Occupant Protection and a 74 per cent score for Vulnerable Road User Protection (i.e. pedestrians and cyclists) both relatively standard compared to other small SUVs tested.

For its top-ranked Child Protection examination of 93 per cent, the Qashqai was given perfect scores for side impact protection and for its restraint installation, while its overall high occupant protection score is helped, Nissan says, by an extra central airbag.

“The addition of a central airbag to prevent the collision of heads between the driver and front seat passenger in the event of a side impact helped the Qashqai to score a perfect six from six on both side impact and oblique pole testing, as well as a perfect marks in far side impact testing,” the ANCAP report said.

Its Safety Assist test, resulting in an impressive 97 per cent, is only one per cent behind the Tesla Model Y’s score, and comes down to what ANCAP describes as “the standard fitment of an advanced and robust range of collision avoidance technologies”.

The entry-level Qashqai ST comes with:

• centre far-side airbag for occupant-to-occupant protection
• a reversing camera
• rear parking sensors
• predictive forward collision warning with forward emergency braking (junction/pedestrian/cyclist)
• lane departure warning with Intelligent Lane Intervention
• intelligent blind spot intervention
• traffic sign recognition
• rear cross-traffic alert with AEB
• intelligent cruise control and high beam assist
• blind spot warning
• intelligent driver alert
• tyre pressure monitoring system 
• rear seat alert

The ST+ adds a surround-view monitoring system, while the ST-L adds semi-autonomous driving under Nissan’s ProPILOT system as well as front parking sensors and adaptive headlights. 

The top-spec Ti gets Advanced Parking Assist, side parking sensors and a 10.8-inch heads-up display.