Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) has awarded five-star safety ratings to three new vehicles entering the market: the Omoda 9 plug-in hybrid, the LDV Terron 9 dual cab ute, and the latest Audi Q5. These results give buyers more choice in the SUV and ute segments, with all three models meeting the highest benchmark for safety.
Omoda 9: Plug-in Hybrid SUV
The Omoda 9 achieved strong results across all test categories. It scored 90% for Adult Occupant Protection and 87% for Child Occupant Protection. Injury protection for the driver and passengers was rated Good to Adequate in almost every crash test. The only exception was the driver’s chest in the oblique pole test, where protection was considered Marginal.
The model also performed well in safety technology tests, achieving 81% for Vulnerable Road User Protection and 82% for Safety Assist. Systems such as autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and lane support showed Good performance in detecting and responding to other vehicles, pedestrians, and motorcyclists.
“The safety performance of the Omoda 9 will provide assurance to buyers looking to move to an alternative-powered Large SUV,” said ANCAP Chief Executive Officer, Carla Hoorweg.
Standard safety equipment includes dual frontal airbags, side chest-protecting airbags, side head-protecting airbags, and a driver knee airbag. A centre airbag is also fitted, which adds protection for front-seat occupants in side impacts. Crash avoidance features such as AEB (covering car-to-car, pedestrian, junction, backover, and head-on scenarios), lane keep assist, emergency lane keeping, and advanced speed assistance with traffic sign recognition are all standard.
The Omoda 9 was introduced in Australia and New Zealand in July 2025, and the ANCAP rating applies to all variants.
LDV Terron 9: Diesel-Powered Ute
The LDV Terron 9 broadens the range of safe work-ready vehicles with its five-star rating. It scored 91% for Adult Occupant Protection and 89% for Child Occupant Protection. Maximum points were achieved in the full-width frontal test, side impact test, and occupant-to-occupant test.
Child protection results were equally strong, with maximum points in the frontal offset and side impact crash tests. ANCAP did note that child restraints should not be installed in the second-row centre seating position, as there is no top tether anchorage available.
Crash prevention was another highlight. The ute performed well in lane keep assist scenarios and low-speed AEB reverse tests, which help prevent backing collisions with pedestrians.
“This is an excellent result for LDV’s new generation ute,” ANCAP said in its assessment.
The LDV Terron 9 is available in Australia and New Zealand from July 2025. The rating applies to all diesel variants, based on testing carried out on the Maxus eTerron 9 in 2024. ANCAP was given technical information and additional test data to confirm the results also apply to the LDV diesel versions.
Like the Omoda 9, the Terron 9 includes dual frontal, side chest-protecting, side head-protecting, and centre airbags as standard. It also comes with AEB across multiple scenarios, lane support functions, and advanced speed assistance systems.
Audi Q5: Premium Medium SUV
The third-generation Audi Q5 has also secured a five-star ANCAP rating. It had strong results in both crash protection and crash avoidance. Perfect scores were recorded for its AEB systems in forward, junction, and T-bone crossing tests, as well as in AEB motorcyclist scenarios.
Adult Occupant Protection was rated at 85%. It received Good results in the full-width frontal, side impact, far-side impact, and oblique pole tests. Child Occupant Protection was rated at 86%.
However, ANCAP highlighted an area for improvement. The Q5 received a seven-point penalty for vehicle-to-vehicle compatibility in the frontal offset test. This means the model presents a higher risk to other vehicles in a head-on crash.
“The Audi Q5 provides strong occupant protection and effective crash avoidance, with vehicle-to-vehicle compatibility noted as an area for improvement,” Ms Hoorweg said.
The Q5’s safety equipment includes dual frontal airbags, side chest-protecting and side head-protecting airbags, and a centre airbag. It also features AEB with wide-ranging capabilities, lane keeping and departure warning functions, and advanced speed assistance. The five-star rating applies to all Q5 and SQ5 variants sold in Australia and New Zealand.
Expanding Safe Choices for Buyers
The Omoda 9, LDV Terron 9, and Audi Q5 all meet the highest safety standard across a wide range of crash and safety technology tests. Their strong results mean buyers looking for family SUVs or a dual cab ute now have more choice without compromising on safety.
The full safety reports for these vehicles can be found below:
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