GAC Aion UT and XPeng X9 ANCAP 2026 safety results

© ANCAP

Both electric vehicles earned the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating but scored just 20% for the usability of everyday controls. The GAC Aion UT and XPeng X9 posted those results in new tests published by the Australasian safety organisation ANCAP on 12 October 2026.

According to ANCAP, the compact Aion UT scored 68% for Safe Driving, 74% for Crash Avoidance, 90% for Crash Protection and 88% for Post Crash Safety. The large XPeng X9 electric MPV recorded 56%, 82%, 91% and 91% respectively.

The main contradiction in the results is not body strength but electronics and interfaces. Both models managed only 20% in the Driving Controls assessment because too many everyday functions depend on the touchscreen. ANCAP highlighted controls for headlights, wipers, window demisting and other functions drivers may need while moving.

ANCAP chief executive Carla Hoorweg said the 2026 requirements significantly broaden the safety assessment and are intended to push manufacturers toward both stronger protection and safer, easier-to-use controls.

We want carmakers to bring back buttons for the functions drivers use every day. Operating the wipers, switching on the headlights or clearing a fogged windscreen should be simple, intuitive and possible without taking attention away from the road.

The XPeng X9 result is particularly notable. Under the 2026 ANCAP protocol, a five-star rating normally requires at least 60% in Safe Driving. The MPV scored only 56%, but the rules allow up to five points to be transferred from an adjacent category. Its 82% Crash Avoidance result was enough to make up the four-point shortfall and preserve the five-star rating.

Testers also found specific shortcomings. The XPeng X9 driver-monitoring system did not recognise phone use, while the emergency release for the rear door was not sufficiently accessible. On the Aion UT, experts noted limitations in some collision-avoidance scenarios and problems opening the exterior doors after a crash.

Even so, both vehicles showed a high level of occupant protection and performed well in post-crash checks of their high-voltage batteries.

The Aion UT has also earned five stars in Euro NCAP testing, although the individual category scores differ. The XPeng X9 electric MPV, meanwhile, is already offered on the European market.