Mitsubishi Outlander and Toyota HiAce retain five-star safety under tougher ANCAP tests
The Mitsubishi Outlander and Toyota HiAce van have reaffirmed their five-star ANCAP safety ratings after undergoing fresh crash testing against stricter 2025 protocols.
Both vehicles were originally awarded five stars under earlier standards, but with tougher assessments now in place, Toyota and Mitsubishi resubmitted updated versions of their high-volume models to prove they remain among the safest choices for Kiwi buyers.
Mitsubishi Outlander: More Safety Tech for Families
The ZM-series Outlander launched here in 2022 with a five-star rating. For 2025, petrol variants built from April and PHEVs built from July benefit from additional updates aimed at both occupant and road-user safety.
Read more 2024 Mitsubishi Outlander 2.5 Exceed 4WD review
Changes include improvements to restraints, whiplash protection, and centre airbag performance. The Outlander also gains a direct driver monitoring system to detect drowsiness or distraction, expanded autonomous emergency braking (now capable of reacting to turning and motorcycle scenarios), and broader lane support functions.
Toyota HiAce: Safer Than Ever for 2025
The current-generation H30 HiAce was first tested in 2019, scoring five stars under the criteria of the time. Six years later, Toyota has rolled out a raft of safety upgrades on vans built from June 2025, allowing the workhorse to meet ANCAP’s newer, more demanding frontal offset (MPDB) and far-side impact tests.
Key upgrades include a centre airbag to protect occupants in side impacts, plus new crash avoidance tech such as Emergency Lane Keeping, intelligent adaptive cruise, and advanced speed sign recognition. Toyota has also enhanced the HiAce’s autonomous emergency braking, which now responds to junction and crossing scenarios, head-on collisions, and vulnerable road users – including motorcyclists as well as pedestrians and cyclists.
Five Stars Then, Five Stars Now
ANCAP Chief Executive Carla Hoorweg said the reassessment programme ensures vehicles evolve in step with consumer expectations.
“Think of smartphones or computers. With each new version, consumers expect better performance and added features. Vehicles are no different – safety should continually evolve,” she explained. “These reassessments confirm that the Toyota HiAce and Mitsubishi Outlander remain some of the safest fleet and family models on the market — five stars then, five stars now, despite tougher tests.”
The reassessment pathway, introduced in 2018, allows manufacturers to have vehicles re-tested when significant safety improvements are made – or reassessed if features are removed. Other models to undergo the process include the Toyota Hilux, Volkswagen Polo and Golf, Isuzu D-Max, and MG3 and MG5.
