ANCAP has announced a five-star safety rating for all GWM Ute dual cab vehicles built from 1 August 2021. The model was assessed against ANCAP’s stringent 2020-2022 test criteria, with examples produced from August 2021 found to provide a high level of safety to occupants and other road users.
According to ANCAP, Ute models built from August 2021 performed well in testing, achieving full points in side impact and far-side impact tests (for adult and child occupants), full points in testing of active lane support system functionality, strong scores for driver protection in frontal impact crashes, and a high level of protection in rear impact whiplash crashes.
However, ANCAP said its full width frontal and whiplash tests revealed safety-related deficiencies with the performance of front head restraint and steering column components in Ute models built between September 2020 and 31 July 2021. These deficiencies have been addressed, with GWM implementing design changes to all newly-built models to improve safety performance in these crash conditions. Additional ANCAP tests verified improved performance.
ANCAP said GWM has committed to improve the performance of earlier-built vehicles through a targeted service campaign required under ANCAP protocols. The safety organisation advised owners that vehicles built between September 2020 and 31 July 2021 will have a no-cost rectification action offered to them by GWM as soon as possible to allow their vehicle to meet five-star ANCAP safety requirements.
“This is a good outcome for consumers and fleet buyers in Australia and New Zealand and [it] has been achieved as a result of market demand for five-star vehicles, consumer expectation and the strong influence of ANCAP protocols,” said ANCAP Chief Executive Officer Carla Hoorweg.
“GWM has shown its willingness and strong commitment to providing its customers with the highest levels of safety by swiftly incorporating improvements to address deficiencies in existing vehicles and as a result, Australian and New Zealand consumers are being supplied with a safer vehicle.
“This rectification action for all vehicles already in the market would not have come without the pressure applied through ANCAP protocols,” Hoorweg added.
ANCAP said the safety performance of the new GWM Ute is a marked improvement on its predecessor, the GWM Steed, which achieved a two-star rating in 2016.