The Automobile Association and New Zealand Transport Agency today announced the Ford Ranger 4x4 dual cab ute and Honda CR-Z sports car had both achieved the top safety rating of 5-stars in the Australasian New Car Assessment Programme.
Stella Stocks, AA general manager for motoring services, says both vehicles had achieved the top ANCAP safety rating based on detailed assessments from tests conducted by EuroNCAP.
"These results demonstrate Ford and Honda's ongoing commitment to vehicle and passenger safety. New Zealanders driving the Ranger and the CR-Z can be assured their safety has been a priority for the manufacturer during the design and development of the vehicle."
"These 5-star results are most welcome, and can be contrasted to the unacceptable 2-star result recently achieved by the Chery J11 compact sports utility vehicle."
NZTA Chief Executive Geoff Dangerfield says the latest five star results are good news for New Zealand consumers, adding to a growing pool of top-safety rated vehicles available here.
Mr Dangerfield says the agency is promoting the purchase of safer vehicles as part of the Safer Journeys strategy, aimed at significantly reducing deaths and serious injuries on New Zealand roads by 2020.
"Reducing road deaths and injuries is a shared responsibility that requires safer roads and roadsides, safe speeds, better driver behaviour, and safer vehicles. When consumers have good information on vehicle safety they will purchase safer vehicles - that demand in turn drives manufacturers to build more safety features into their cars. We encourage people to look carefully at crash test results and buy the safest vehicle they can afford."
ANCAP is supported by all New Zealand and Australian motoring clubs, the New Zealand government, all Australian State governments and the FIA Foundation. The AA and NZTA are both members of ANCAP. Detailed crash test results are available on the websites of both organisations - www.aa.co.nz(external link) or www.nzta.govt.nz(external link).
