The redesigned Toyota Yaris has been assessed against ANCAP’s stricter new criteria – and it’s passed with flying colours.
It received a rating of five stars, based on an adult occupant protection score of 86 per cent, a child occupant protection score of 87 per cent, a vulnerable road user protection score of 78 per cent, and a safety assist score of 87 per cent.
Though the overall category ratings were high, ANCAP did note pedestrian protection was Weak or Poor once they struck the windscreen, and pelvis protection at the centre of the car was Weak. Driver’s foot protection was the only other Weak score across the criteria.
The new generation’s addition of a front-centre airbag and autonomous emergency braking with turn assist was praised by the safety body.
“The Yaris introduces some of the most sophisticated passive and active safety systems – including dual centre airbags and AEB with Turn Assistance which are features that are being seen for the first time in 2020,” said ANCAP director of communications and advocacy, Rhianne Robson.
All 2020 Yaris models come standard with autonomous emergency braking, lane-keeping assist and rear cross-traffic alert are all standard from the base model, with top-spec ZR models adding blind-spot monitoring.
ANCAP gave a Good rating to the Yaris for the effectiveness of its lane-keeping assist and autonomous emergency braking.
So far this year, the best-selling model in the Yaris’ segment is the significantly cheaper MG 3, which lacks any active safety technology and received a disappointing three stars when it was assessed by Euro NCAP in 2014.
Other top-selling rivals that lack active safety tech include the Suzuki Baleno, which has no ANCAP score, and the Honda Jazz, which has a five-star score from 2014.
The Kia Rio which has a five-star rating from 2017 and AEB and lane-keeping assist in all bar the base model, while the Suzuki Swift also has a 2017 five-star rating and offers AEB, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert in its two top trims, the former of which actually undercuts the entire Yaris range.
To find out more differences in spec in the light car segment, check out our spec comparison.
