Safety

ANCAP has released a raft of new scores for eight new models which have landed in Australia this year, with some notable new entrants falling short of the maximum five-star rating.

Toyota has announced a recall for 38,072 examples of the Corolla small car.The recall affects vehicles built from 2022 to 2024, sedan and hatchback body shapes across Ascent Sport, SX and ZR model grades.The recall notice posted by the Federal Government’s Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts states that the impacted vehicles could have an issue with braking performance.It is due to a software issue in the skid control unit, which may require higher pedal focus that could result in increased braking distance under certain conditions.The recall notice says a reduction in braking performance could result in an increased risk of injury or death to vehicle occupants and other road users.Toyota will contact affected owners and urge them to schedule an appointment at their closest dealership to have the software updated for free.Owners can contact the Toyota Recall Assist helpline on 1800 987 366 for more information.The Corolla recall follows just days after the company issued a recall for the Corolla Cross SUV for a potential manufacturer defect that could lead to a loss of steering. 

For quite a few years I commuted an hour-and-a-half from the NSW Central Coast to Sydney and, in that time, I saw people doing all kinds of reckless, stupid acts on the freeway while driving at 110km.

Is it illegal to drive barefoot? What about without closed shoes?

The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) has handed down a three-star safety rating to the Hyundai i30 sedan range.

Mazda has recalled a total of 7870 examples of its Mazda CX-60 and CX-90 vehicles in petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid guises, built between 2023 and 2024, due to malfunctioning software that may impact the cars' critical driving functions.According to a recall notice published by the Australian Government’s Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts, 5331 petrol and diesel mild-hybrid variants of the CX-60 and CX-90 have been affected.The notice read: “Due to a software issue, the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) and Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) may impact the hybrid battery assist function. As a result, the engine may not automatically restart after entering idle stop (i-stop).“In addition, due to a software issue with the Dash Electronic Supply Unit (Dash-ESU), when the hybrid system is powered on, multiple warning messages may display in the instrument cluster.“The engine warning light may illuminate; the instrument cluster may fail to illuminate the visual and audible seat belt warnings; and the 360° view camera functions may not operate as intended to assist the driver to detect nearby obstacles or driver errors,” the notice read.Unique to the diesel variant, the notice said: “The clutch connecting motor and engine may not engage with appropriate timing when restarting the engine during EV-driving and/or; the engine may restart immediately after the transition from engine-driving to EV driving.“In this condition, the engine RPM may not increase, and the engine may fail to restart. The engine can be restarted by pressing the ‘push start button’.”In the worst case scenario, the notice said: “A loss of EV drive mode and a loss of safety systems such as camera functions and seat belt warnings could increase the risk of an accident, causing serious injury or death to vehicle occupants and other road users.”The software issue impacting 2539 examples of the plug-in hybrid CX-60 is slightly different and only pertains to the vehicle’s Dash-ESU, which may also cause several warning messages to illuminate or systems to malfunction due to improper programming.The notice said: “the engine warning light may illuminate; the PHEV high-voltage battery cooling system may not operate as intended.“As a result, EV drive mode may not be available; the instrument cluster may fail to illuminate the visual and audible seat belt warnings; and the 360° view camera functions may not operate as intended to assist the driver to detect nearby obstacles or driver errors.”As with the petrol and diesel variants, in the worst case scenario, there are concerns a loss of EV drive mode and safety camera system functions and seatbelt warning malfunctioning could lead to serious injury or death.Owners of the petrol Mazda CX-60 and CX-90 built between 2023 and 2024 can check if their vehicle is affected here, while owners of diesel variants can check here.Plug-in hybrid owners can check here.All owners will be contacted by Mazda Australia imminently to arrange a time to have either vehicle’s PCM or Dash-ESU systems, or both, recalibrated free of charge.

Australia’s independent assessor of vehicle safety, ANCAP, has awarded a maximum five star rating to the MG HS and electric Chery Omoda E5.ANCAP said the MG HS was tested according to the body’s latest safety protocols, while the five-star rating of the existing Chery Omoda 5 – which is according to 2022 Protocols – was extended to cover the electric variant.The MG HS’ strongest test results were found in the Adult Occupant Protection category, where it scored a 90 per cent rating. This was achieved by full points awarded in the side impact, oblique pole, whiplash protection and far-side impact tests.A score of 87 per cent was also achieved for Child Occupant Protection with protection of critical body regions rated as ‘Good’.The HS’ performance in Vulnerable Road User Protection also scored well, achieving an 83 per cent score that was backed up by well-performing advanced driver assistance systems in car-to-motorcycle crash scenarios, such as autonomous emergency braking (AEB).Having said that, the performance of AEB back over, the system that detects pedestrians when reversing, was rated as ‘Marginal’, with the 'Driver Assist' category delivering the HS' lowest score out of the four testing categories of 73 per cent.ANCAP’s CEO, Carla Hoorweg, said MG was continuing to showcase its safety credentials.“The previous generation MG HS achieved a five-star result against 2019 criteria. Our protocols have been upgraded twice since then, so it is positive to see MG continue to invest in the safety of the HS”, said Hoorweg.While carrying over the petrol Omoda 5’s five-star rating, the Chery Omoda E5 stood up under some additional testing – such as front offset and oblique pole crash tests – to confirm its safety performance as well as the integrity of its high-voltage battery in a crash scenario.“This five-star rating for the Omoda E5 will be a welcome addition to the shopping lists of consumers and fleets in the market for a five-star EV,” said Hoorweg.Interested buyers can check out the full details of the safety report on the MG HS and Chery Omoda E5 at ANCAP’s website here.