Utes get first five star safety rating

20 Oct 2009

MEDIA RELEASE: 20th October 2009

The Australian-made Holden Commodore utility has received the first five-star rating for any ute on the Australian market.

The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) result comes just a month after the release of poor one and two star ratings for the Proton Jumbuck (1 star) and Great Wall Motors utes (2 stars).

Transport Accident Commission Road Safety Manager Samantha Cockfield said after those disappointing results, the five star rating was welcomed by Victoria’s ANCAP partners.

“This is great news for utility drivers, especially tradespeople, farmers and others who rely on utes for their work and lifestyle. I congratulate Holden on the rating, which means they now have a five-star Commodore fleet,” Ms Cockfield said.

RACV’s Chief Engineer, Vehicles, and ANCAP Program Manager Michael Case said the rating meant more choices for drivers.
“ANCAP has just awarded Australia’s first five-star light commercial van rating and now the first five-star ute, so those motorists who need a work vehicle can now opt for five-star safety,” Mr Case said.

“Having a five-star vehicle in this category means Australians can buy more home- grown vehicles that are the safest on the road.”
ANCAP Council Chair and VicRoads Manager Vehicle Safety Ross McArthur said Australians would continue to see five-star ratings across a wider range of vehicles.

“We know other Australian manufacturers are working hard to produce similar five-star utes for the Australian market and we look forward to testing those as they become available,” Mr McArthur said.

The five-star ANCAP rating applies to all variants of the new Commodore ute. The passenger compartment held its shape well in the ANCAP tests, providing good airbag protection for the driver and passenger and no knee hazards for the driver.

In addition to the crash test performance, the ute comes with dual front airbags, seat-mounted side and head-protecting curtain airbags, anti-lock brakes (ABS), electronic brake distribution (EBD) and electronic stability control (ESC) as standard features.

ANCAP is supported in Victoria by the RACV, VicRoads and the Transport Accident Commission. To find out more about ANCAP’s vehicle safety ratings and other vehicle safety information, go to www.howsafeisyourcar.com.au

Media Contacts:
TAC: Emily Bogue, Media and Communications Adviser - 0429 416 778
RACV: Jo Robertson, Communications Adviser – 0407 910 278
VicRoads: Bree Taylor, Media Adviser – 9854 2499