The 2021 Toyota Kluger has been awarded five stars in ANCAP testing.
The redesigned crossover received scores of 90 per cent for adult occupant protection, 88 per cent for child occupant protection, 76 per cent for vulnerable road user protection, and 82 per cent for safety assist.
While ANCAP only physically tested hybrid models, the rating applies across the entire hybrid four-cylinder and petrol V6 range.
The safety authority praised the Kluger for its list of standard safety equipment, including curtain airbags for all three rows, as well as a junction assist feature for its autonomous emergency braking.
ANCAP recorded high levels of performance for the junction assist feature in stopping the car when it detected a pedestrian on a crossing, regardless of which side of the vehicle the pedestrian was on.
All 2021 Kluger models come standard with the following safety equipment:
- Autonomous emergency braking with junction assist and pedestrian and daytime cyclist detection
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Emergency steering assist
- Adaptive cruise control
- Lane-tracing assist
- Automatic high-beam
- Traffic sign recognition
- Reversing camera
- Front and rear parking sensors
- Seven airbags
It doesn’t include a front-centre airbag, a feature slowly filtering out across the market and is intended to prevent injuries caused from the two front-seat occupants colliding with each other in the event of a collision.
The lack of this airbag meant prevention of ‘occupant excursion’, or movement towards the other side of the vehicle, was deemed Adequate.
Chest protection for the driver in both the full-width frontal and frontal offset tests was also rated Adequate.
Child occupant protection across various tests all received Good ratings, though the Kluger lacks Isofix and top-tether anchor points for child seats in the third row.
Finally, the autonomous emergency braking system received Good ratings for vehicle and pedestrian scenarios but Adequate ratings in scenarios involving cyclists.
ANCAP strengthened its testing protocols for 2020-22, and the Kluger is thus far the second vehicle in its segment to be tested under these.
Toyota Kluger GXL 
Kia Sorento Sport+
The first mainstream large SUV tested under the new protocols was the Kia Sorento.
It received an overall rating of five stars plus scores of 82 per cent, 85 per cent, 63 per cent and 89 per cent for adult occupant protection, child occupant protection, vulnerable road user protection and safety assist, respectively.
