Lexus RZ earns first five-star safety rating under tougher ANCAP rules

The Lexus RZ is the first vehicle assessed by ANCAP under its tougher 2023-25 testing criteria, earning a five-star rating.

It received a rating of 87 per cent for adult occupant protection, 89 per cent for child occupant protection, 84 per cent for vulnerable road user protection, and 84 per cent for safety assist.

ANCAP praised Lexus for its ability to warn occupants of an approaching cyclist when exiting both the front and rear doors, and to prevent the opening of the door if needed. The safety authority is now assessing this so-called anti-dooring functionality.

It recorded Good ratings for its lane support and autonomous emergency braking (AEB) systems, including in the latter’s detection of cyclists and motorcyclists.

To earn five stars under the new criteria, a vehicle needs to clear thresholds of 80 per cent, 80 per cent, 70 per cent and 70 per cent, respectively, for these categories. Previously, the minimum for vulnerable road user protection was 60 per cent.

In terms of crash protection, ANCAP recorded Good ratings for protection of all critical body regions for the driver in the frontal offset test, bar their chest and lower legs which received Adequate ratings.

In the full-width frontal test, protection of the driver dummy was rated Good for all body regions bar the chest, which was rated Adequate; protection of the rear passenger’s neck was rated Adequate and chest protection was Weak, but protection of all other critical body areas was deemed Good.

ANCAP has made significant changes to its testing criteria for 2023-25. These include:

• A reduced tolerance for chest injuries in the full-width frontal test, with improved restraint systems required front and rear
• An eight-point penalty (up from four) for vehicle-to-vehicle crash compatibility
• Testing of AEB in head-on and intersection crossing scenarios, plus additional cyclist scenarios
• Testing of direct driver monitoring systems that track eye movements
• Testing of motorcyclist detection in AEB, blind-spot monitoring and lane support systems

The safety authority is also testing the ease in which an occupant can escape a submerged vehicle.

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