The new Ford Ranger has passed an important test, achieving the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating under the latest test protocols.
The Ranger’s five-star score carries the latest 2022 date stamp, though it was put up against the same 2020-22 test protocols as the five-star Isuzu D-Max, Mazda BT-50, and GWM Ute.
This Ranger score is based on physical crash testing in Australia, as well as testing of the driver-assist systems, as opposed to data-sharing from Euro NCAP tests.
Vehicles built before August 20, 2022, will need a software update to their lane-keeping software to mirror the specifications of five-star vehicles. Ford says dealers will carry out the update at an owner’s next service.
ANCAP scored the 2022 Ranger 84 per cent for adult occupant protection, 93 per cent for child occupant protection, 74 per cent for vulnerable road user protection, and 83 per cent for safety assist.
The five-star ANCAP safety rating applies to Ranger XL, XLS, XLT, Sport and Wildtrak variants of the Ranger in single-cab, extended-cab, and dual-cab body styles including utility and cab-chassis’ bodies.
However, Raptor variants of the Ford Ranger are unrated, and are too mechanically different to simply carry over the regular models’ results.
“This is good news for fleets, families and tradies, as well as recreational consumers – everyone who uses these models for work and play,” said ANCAP CEO Carla Hoorweg.
“A five-star safety rating isn’t an easy achievement, yet it is particularly important when considering the very broad range of uses for the Ranger and Everest.”
The Ford Ranger comes equipped as standard with dual frontal, side chest-protecting and side head-protecting curtain airbags, as well as a driver and passenger knee airbag. A centre airbag between front seat occupants in side impact crashes is also a standard offering.
ANCAP said solid scores were achieved for the Ranger’s protection of adult occupants in the frontal offset, side impact and far-side impact tests, though ‘Marginal’ scores were recorded for the chest of the rear passenger in the full-width frontal crash test, and for the chest of the driver in the oblique pole test.
The test body says high and heavy vehicles such as utes and large SUVs pose “an increased risk” to occupants of oncoming vehicles in a crash, and this was reflected through a ‘compatibility’ penalty.
Maximum scores were awarded recognising the ‘Good’ levels of protection offered to (outboard-seat) child occupants in the frontal offset and side impact crashes – though ANCAP said the installation of child restraints in single- and extended-cab (not dual-cab) variants of the Ranger was “not recommended” as there are no top-tether anchorages.
Under ADR 34, NA category (light commercial) vehicles are not required to fit top-tether anchorage points and therefore are only suitable for transporting young children if the manufacturer has chosen to include child restraint anchorages in the rear seats – as is the case with top-selling dual-cab models.
Tests of autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assistance, and speed assistance all found good levels of performance, ANCAP added.
Standard safety features include:
- 9 airbags
- Driver and passenger front
- Driver and passenger front-side
- Driver and passenger knee
- Two-row curtains
- Front-centre
- Outboard ISOFIX and top tethers
- Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
- Lane-departure warning
- Lane-keep assist
- Road edge detection
- Blind-spot monitoring (pickup) with wider-view trailer mode
- Rear cross-traffic alert (pickup)
- Adaptive cruise control
Ranger XLT and above add
- Adaptive cruise control with Stop/Go
- Traffic sign recognition
- Lane-centring aid
Built on an evolution of the ‘T6’ platform that underpinned the old car, the new Ranger offers a modernised interior, tougher exterior design with more classically American cues, and a new V6 diesel with permanent four-wheel drive as an option.
Like so many vehicles today, it’s also in hot demand. Ford has sold nearly 20,000 Rangers already, and while it plans to deliver 5000 units a month for the short-term, expect wait times if you opt for a more popular version.
MORE: 2023 Ford Ranger review
