Chinese marques dominate latest ANCAP results
BY MATT BROGAN | 12th Feb 2026
ANCAP has awarded five-star crash test results to a new group of vehicles entering the Australian and New Zealand market, four of which were Chinese-made models that all scored strong marks in the latest assessment round.
Cars from Geely, Leapmotor, MG and Zeekr performed well alongside those made by established brands Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Subaru, and Toyota
All these results were assessed and published under ANCAP’s existing 2023-2025 criterion, and ahead of a new ratings system applying to vehicles tested from 2026.
Under these outgoing criteria, the Leapmotor B10 battery electric small SUV recorded high overall results, including 95 per cent for Child Occupant Protection (COP), a joint-highest COP score under ANCAP’s 2023-2025 test regime with (also Chinese) Denza B5 large SUV.
The B10 also performed well in the Adult Occupant Protection (AOP) assessment with a 93 per cent score, with 84 per cent attained for Vulnerable Road User Protection (VRUP) and 86 per cent for its Safety Assist (SA) tech.
The Geely Starray EM-I medium SUV – the brand’s first plug-in hybrid model to be rated by ANCAP – achieved what the testing body described as a well-balanced result, including an 86 per cent VRUP score, reflecting “effective pedestrian and cyclist protection performance”.
ANCAP handed down a 90 per cent AOP score to the Starray, which also got 87 per cent for COP and 82 per cent for SA.
The Zeekr 7X battery electric medium SUV – the second model from the Geely-controlled manufacturer to be assessed by ANCAP – also achieved high scores with 91 per cent for AOP, 87 per cent for COP, 78 per cent for both VRUP and SA.
Maximum points were awarded to the 7X in side impact and oblique pole crash tests.
With the highest VRUP score (87 per cent) in this group and an “excellent” 93 per cent AOP result, the Mercedes-Benz CLE Coupe's 86 per cent for COP and 84 per cent for SA added up to a strong five-star ANCAP crash test result.
The all-electric Kia EV4’s five-star result was comprised of 84 per cent AOP, 86 per cent COP, 77 per cent VRUP and 81 per cent SA.
Updated five-star ratings were also applied to the Toyota bZ4X and related Subaru Solterra following specification updates made by their respective manufacturers.
Finally, the existing five-star safety rating applied to petrol variants of the MG HS has been extended to hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants, supported by additional testing confirming “comparable safety performance and high-voltage system integrity”.
“As more new models and emerging brands arrive on our roads, independent safety assessment remains critical,” said ANCAP chief executive officer Carla Hoorweg.
“ANCAP testing provides consumer with clear, comparable information, and ensures vehicles meet the highest standards for protection, regardless of badge or price point.”
February 2026 ANCAP test results*:
|
|
AOP
|
COP
|
VRUP
|
SA
|
|
Geely Starray EM-I
|
90%
|
87%
|
86%
|
82%
|
|
Kia EV4
|
84%
|
86%
|
77%
|
81%
|
|
Leapmotor B10
|
93%
|
95%
|
84%
|
86%
|
|
Mercedes-Benz CLE Coupe
|
93%
|
86%
|
87%
|
84%
|
|
MG HS
|
90%
|
87%
|
83%
|
74%
|
|
Subaru Solterra
|
88%
|
86%
|
80%
|
82%
|
|
Toyota bZ4X
|
88%
|
86%
|
80%
|
82%
|
|
Zeekr 7X
|
91%
|
87%
|
78%
|
78%
|
*Test results provided courtesy of the Australasian New Car Assessment Program
