VW Amarok scores five-star ANCAP rating

VOLKSWAGEN’S Amarok has joined its closely related Ford Ranger in offering Aussie ute buyers a five-star safety score.

The result follows Volkswagen’s attainment of a five-star EuroNCAP score in December last year, ensuring light commercial vehicle buyers benefit from the same active and passive safety levels offered to passenger car buyers.

According to ANCAP, the Amarok underwent additional front offset (MPBD) and side impact tests that were not applied to Ford’s Ranger and noted the standard safety offering of the Volkswagen-branded dual-cab utility as “in line with its contemporary peers”.

The Volkswagen Amarok comes equipped as standard with dual frontal, side chest-protecting and side head-protecting curtain airbags, as well as a driver and passenger knee airbag.

A centre airbag which provides added protection to front seat occupants in side impact crashes is also a standard offering.

ANCAP said a mix of Adequate and Good injury risk scores were observed across the range of crash tests assessed featuring adult dummies, with some areas of Marginal performance noted.

Good levels of protection were observed for both child dummies in the two Child Occupant Protection assessments, with full points achieved for the protection of children in both tests.

However, ANCAP was quick to note that Amarok buyers transporting young children should be aware that the installation of child restraints in the second-row’s centre seating position is not recommended, as a top-tether-style anchorage point is not fitted in this position.

ANCAP says that, as with the Ford Ranger and many other utility and light commercial vehicles, the Amarok was shown to pose an increased risk to occupants of oncoming vehicles in the event of a crash. For this reason, a 3.57 point “compatibility” penalty was applied to the score.

The Volkswagen Amarok scored 86 per cent in the adult occupant protection category, 93 per cent in the child occupant protection category, 74 per cent in the vulnerable road user protection category and 83 per cent in the safety assist category.

By way of reference, the latest Ford Ranger scored respective marks of 84, 93, 74 and 83 per cent.

ANCAP noted that the Volkswagen Amarok is fitted with a broad range of collision avoidance systems capable of responding to pedestrians, cyclists and other vehicles in forward and turning scenarios.

Good scores were awarded for the Amarok’s performance in emergency lane keeping, lane keep assist, car-to-car autonomous emergency braking (AEB) tests, and car-to-cyclist AEB tests.

Car-to-pedestrian AEB test scenarios revealed an overall Adequate level of performance.

“The dual-cab ute segment is always very competitive, and this five-star rating now elevates the VW Amarok in line with its contemporary peers,” said ANCAP chief executive officer, Carla Hoorweg.