From January 1, 2026, the ANCAP safety ratings for many popular cars currently sold in Australia will officially expire. This list includes models like the Toyota RAV4, Toyota HiLux (8th Gen), Mazda 3, Mazda CX-30, Kia Seltos, and BMW 3 Series. This ANCAP rating expiry system is designed to push car manufacturers toward safer, newer cars.
Expiry of ANCAP ratings
Every ANCAP safety rating is only valid for six years, following which the rating is set to have expired and is no longer valid. Any such car model that is still being made and sold loses its official safety rating and becomes “unrated” for newly built and untested units.
A car manufacturer will need to submit these new car units again for new safety testing, release a new-generation model, or add major safety upgrades that meet the latest and stricter ANCAP rules for a new safety rating.
For instance, these popular cars are still sold in Australia without a valid ANCAP rating because their tests were done in 2018 or earlier: Toyota Corolla, Mazda CX-5, Mazda CX-3, Suzuki Jimny, LDV T60 Max, and Volvo XC40.
Car models whose ANCAP rating will expire in 2026
From January 1, 2026, any of the following car models built after this date will be listed as “unrated,” at least until newer units get tested. These models were last tested under 2019 ANCAP rules, and their safety ratings have now reached the end of their six-year validity.
Small and medium cars
All of these models received a 2019 5-star ANCAP rating:
- Audi A1
- BMW 1 Series
- BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe
- Mazda 3 (new launch in 2026)
- Skoda Scala
Luxury and performance cars
All of these were also rated 5 stars:
- BMW 3 Series (new launch in 2027)
- BMW 4 Series (new launch in 2028)
- Mercedes-Benz CLA (excluding AMG models; new launch in 2026)
- Mercedes-Benz G-Class (G63 only; new launch in 2026)
SUVs – Small and medium
Most received 5 stars:
- BMW X6
- Kia Seltos (new launch in 2026)
- Lexus UX (new launch in 2026)
- Mazda CX-30 (new launch in 2026)
- Mercedes-Benz GLA & GLB (new launch in 2026)
- Nissan Juke (new launch in 2027)
- Peugeot 2008
- Range Rover Evoque (new launch in 2026)
- Renault Captur (new launch in 2026)
- Renault Arkana (new launch in 2026)
- Skoda Kamiq
- Toyota RAV4 (new launch in 2026)
- Volkswagen T-Cross (new launch in 2026)
- Hyundai Venue (4 stars; new launch in 2026)
SUVs – Large
All of these models had 5-star ratings:
- Audi Q7 (new launch in 2027)
- Audi Q8
- Mercedes-Benz GLE (new launch in 2026)
- Ssangyong Korando (new launch in 2026)
- Toyota Fortuner (to be discontinued from 2026)
Electric vehicles (EVs)
All were previously rated 5 stars:
- Audi Q8 e-tron
- Mercedes-Benz EQA (new launch in 2026)
- Mercedes-Benz EQB (new launch in 2026)
- Mercedes-Benz EQC (new launch in 2026)
Off-road vehicles
Both Jeep models received a 3-star rating before expiry:
- Jeep Wrangler (new launch in 2028)
- Jeep Gladiator (new launch in 2028)
- Toyota HiLux 8th Gen (9th gen launched and tested in 2025)
The new safety protocols of ANCAP from 2026
Future cars in Australia will be judged much more strictly than older models. ANCAP will move to new safety rules in 2026, called the “Stages of Safety,” bringing major changes to how vehicles are assessed.
The old four safety pillars are replaced with these four stages, which focus more on real-world crash prevention and emergency response: Safe Driving, Crash Avoidance, Crash Protection, and Post-Crash Safety.
Cars will lose points if essential controls like indicators, horn, or wipers are hidden inside touchscreens instead of having physical buttons or stalks. Driver-assist systems that are too loud, sensitive, or distracting, such as intrusive lane alerts or driver monitoring, will now lose points.
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