ANCAP has announced that the Mazda BT-50 utility has been awarded a five-star safety rating for all variants, following assessment against the latest 2020 test criteria. The result follows the five-star ANCAP safety rating achieved by the Isuzu D-Max last month, with both models sharing the same underlying platform.
“As the latest release into the high-selling utilities segment, the Mazda BT-50 provides a comprehensive safety offering to both fleet and private buyers,” said Rhianne Robson, Director – Communications & Advocacy at ANCAP.
The safety rating for the BT-50 is mostly based on testing conducted on the Isuzu D-Max. The BT-50 shares the D-Max’s platform, meaning it shares common structures, drivetrains, passive and active safety features and restraints beneath unique body panels. However, the BT-50 has different front styling including the bumper and bonnet, leading ANCAP to conduct extra testing to determine any differences in pedestrian protection performance. The additional tests revealed a small increase in potential injury risk, with the BT-50 achieving a slightly lower score of 67 per cent for Vulnerable Road User Protection, against the D-Max score of 69 per cent.
ANCAP said maximum points were given to the BT-50’s protection of adult occupants in the side impact and oblique pole tests, while full points were also given to the protection of child occupants in the frontal offset and side impact tests. Each of the critical body regions assessed offered maximum protection when seated in appropriate child restraints.
New safety features introduced to the BT-50 include a centre airbag to help reduce occupant-to-occupant impact as well as injury from intrusion on the non-struck side of the vehicle, along with “AEB Junction Assist” to help prevent turning across the path of an oncoming vehicle at intersections. Another feature is multi-collision braking, which helps avoid a secondary impact.
“This top rating underscores the importance placed on safety by Mazda, with all models in its range carrying a five-star ANCAP safety rating,” said Robson. “It is reassuring to see the safety of Mazda customers and other road users being prioritised regardless of market segment.”