Five safety stars for Mirage, Beetle, Kuga

THE safety credentials of Mitsubishi’s new Mirage light car were confirmed this week with a five-star crash-test rating handed down by the authoritative independent Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP).

With the maximum five stars increasingly considered a prerequisite for car buyers, the recently released Mirage’s result marks a considerable improvement over its predecessor, the Colt, which managed only three stars and was removed from sale in Victoria when legislation demanded the fitment of electronic stability control (ESC).

This proven life-saving safety technology is standard across the new Mirage range, along with six airbags and ABS brakes with electronic brake-force distribution – part of an overall package that Mitsubishi hopes will produce a dramatic upturn in sales this year.

ANCAP has also announced maximum five-star ratings for Volkswagen’s new-generation Beetle, which launches in Australia later this week, and the redesigned Ford Kuga due in April.

The Beetle’s result is an improvement on the four-star rating of the previous model, while the second-generation Kuga’s result upholds the five-star rating of the current model and comes just a fortnight after ANCAP’s European affiliate bestowed a ‘2012 best in class’ award upon the compact SUV.

ANCAP chairman Lauchlan McIntosh said that almost 70 per cent of new cars sold in January – another record month which brought 85,430 new registrations on to the market – held a five-star ANCAP rating.

“ANCAP wants to see this positive trend continue as we raise the bar for all safety ratings year on year,” he said.

“More five-star cars on the market means safer drivers, occupants and pedestrians.”