ANCAP set to broaden testing for large utes in Australia
Australia’s crash test authority has outlined plans to broaden its current assessment regime of large American-style utes or pick-ups in Australia.
The Australasian New Car Assessment Program, or ANCAP, embarked on pioneering testing of large American-style pick-ups in 2025, in the face of renewed popularity and market sales.
While that testing was intentionally focused on crash avoidance features rather than all-out crash structures, considerations are now being made to extend that testing process in a bid to sift the good from the bad for prospective buyers.
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“We have our sights on another couple of models for testing later this year, and I’m sure the results from these will be of high interest to readers and motorists around the country,” said ANCAP chief executive Carla Hoorweg.
“Looking further ahead, there’s the potential for testing of these large utes to broaden. We know driver visibility is an issue given their high ride-height and deep bonnets, and there’s also the potential to expand into crash testing – to see if the structures and on-board restraints provide their occupants with the same levels of protection we now see in many of the smaller ute models.”
Under its current guidelines, ANCAP has so far tested five models within the large ute segment: the Ford F-150, RAM 1500, Toyota Tundra, Toyota LandCruiser and Chevrolet Silverado.
Though limited, the current testing regime exposed significant differences on the crash avoidance features fitted to each.
“Of the five models tested, we saw a spread of results ranging from the top-performing Ford F-150 with a Platinum safety grading, the RAM 1500 with Gold, the Toyota Tundra and Toyota LandCruiser 79 Series both with Silver, and the Chevrolet Silverado offering basic overall performance with Bronze,” Hoorweg explained.
“The response has been really encouraging. We've seen genuine engagement from manufacturers, fleets and consumers, which tells us there's a real appetite for independent information in this segment.
“Importantly, the results have shown that high levels of crash avoidance performance are achievable, while also identifying clear opportunities for improvement. That's exactly what ANCAP’s independent assessment programs are designed to do – establish a benchmark and encourage ongoing safety improvements across the market.”
The expanded ANCAP testing formats come as an NRMA member survey revealed the large ute segment continued to divide motorists in Australia.
The survey of over 2000 people found that 40 per cent of road users “feel unsafe sharing the road with American style pick-up trucks/utes”.
A further 57 per cent of respondents said they generally felt negative towards American style pick-ups.
A big proportion of respondents cited blocked visibility, as well as narrower streets in new developments and older Australian roads as key sticking points around the adoption of large utes.
The same survey found that 28 per cent of respondents felt ‘very safe’ or ‘somewhat safe’ around the pick-ups, revealing that many road users were unperturbed by their presence.
One factor that respondents felt almost unanimous about was car park dimensions, with 86 per cent declaring they thought car park spaces were too small for modern vehicles.
