Honda Australia: ANCAP star ratings need clearer meaning
Honda Australia questions ANCAP safety ratings and calls for clearer, fairer rules
Honda Australia: ANCAP star ratings need clearer meaning
Honda Australia says ANCAP safety ratings confuse shoppers as five stars vary by year. The brand urges clearer, fairer criteria to guide safer purchases.
2025-08-30T06:26:09+03:00
2025-08-30T06:26:09+03:00
2025-08-30T06:26:09+03:00
Honda Australia has called ANCAP’s safety rating system into question, arguing that its methodology muddles rather than clarifies. The core issue is simple yet consequential: a five-star score earned in different years can reflect very different levels of protection. For anyone skimming a window sticker, the badge looks the same, but the meaning can shift.By ANCAP’s own rules, the criteria are refreshed every three years, while ratings remain valid for six. That means a model awarded five stars in 2022 sits on paper alongside a five-star car in 2026, even though the earlier one was assessed under less demanding standards. For buyers who only dive into crash tests every eight to ten years when changing cars, that mismatch easily becomes a source of confusion—and it’s not hard to see why.Honda Australia boss Jay Joseph said the system should guide rather than complicate purchase decisions, stressing that if people cannot understand why the test year matters, the rating stops functioning as an objective benchmark. In plain terms, without clear context, the stars don’t tell the whole story.The mixed results within a single brand only amplify the problem. The Honda Civic in hybrid form secured five stars, while its petrol version managed four. Australia’s CR‑V also landed on four stars, even though the European version is certified at five—an outcome attributed to the absence of certain active safety systems. It underscores how equipment differences can tilt the scale even when the cars share a nameplate.Honda says it will keep engineering cars around robust body structures, strong occupant protection and up-to-date driver assistance. At the same time, the company insists ANCAP make its framework clearer and fairer for shoppers. After all, everyone is aiming at the same target: fewer lives lost on the road. A rating that speaks plainly would help more buyers make the safer choice, faster.
honda australia, ancap safety ratings, five-star rating, car safety, crash tests, rating methodology, civic hybrid, cr-v, active safety systems, buyer confusion, australia automotive
2025
Michael Powers
news
Honda Australia questions ANCAP safety ratings and calls for clearer, fairer rules
Honda Australia says ANCAP safety ratings confuse shoppers as five stars vary by year. The brand urges clearer, fairer criteria to guide safer purchases.
Michael Powers, Editor
Honda Australia has called ANCAP’s safety rating system into question, arguing that its methodology muddles rather than clarifies. The core issue is simple yet consequential: a five-star score earned in different years can reflect very different levels of protection. For anyone skimming a window sticker, the badge looks the same, but the meaning can shift.
By ANCAP’s own rules, the criteria are refreshed every three years, while ratings remain valid for six. That means a model awarded five stars in 2022 sits on paper alongside a five-star car in 2026, even though the earlier one was assessed under less demanding standards. For buyers who only dive into crash tests every eight to ten years when changing cars, that mismatch easily becomes a source of confusion—and it’s not hard to see why.
Honda Australia boss Jay Joseph said the system should guide rather than complicate purchase decisions, stressing that if people cannot understand why the test year matters, the rating stops functioning as an objective benchmark. In plain terms, without clear context, the stars don’t tell the whole story.
The mixed results within a single brand only amplify the problem. The Honda Civic in hybrid form secured five stars, while its petrol version managed four. Australia’s CR‑V also landed on four stars, even though the European version is certified at five—an outcome attributed to the absence of certain active safety systems. It underscores how equipment differences can tilt the scale even when the cars share a nameplate.
Honda says it will keep engineering cars around robust body structures, strong occupant protection and up-to-date driver assistance. At the same time, the company insists ANCAP make its framework clearer and fairer for shoppers. After all, everyone is aiming at the same target: fewer lives lost on the road. A rating that speaks plainly would help more buyers make the safer choice, faster.
