It’s a mixed bag of results in latest round of Australasian New Car Assessment Programme safety ratings.

Four cars were put under crash test scrutiny, but just three hit the top 5 star ANCAP safety rating. While the Audi A5, Volvo S90 and the hybrid Hyundai Ioniq achieved the maximum rating, another Hyundai offering, the i20 hatch and cross variants achieved just 4 stars and applies to vehicles released in New Zealand from December last year.

AA Motoring Services General Manager Stella Stocks says the result will be disappointing for consumers who have come to expect much on the safety front from the Korean marque.

In 2015, the luxury Hyundai Genesis was declared the safest by a significant margin at the New Zealand Car of the Year Awards.

“Safety standards are rising, which means car markets need to push harder to meet consumer expectations,” Ms Stocks says.

The Hyundai i20 was let down in the areas of child occupant protection and safety assist. While new cars come standard with crash prevention technology such as autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring and emergency brake assist – none of these are available on the i20.

By comparison, the Ioniq has autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and emergency braking assist as standard. It also includes lane support systems and a manual speed limiter.

As a global leader in producing safe vehicles, the Volvo S90 features an impressive range of advance safety technologies as standard.

Similarly, the Audi A5 performed well in testing and is equipped with an ‘active’ bonnet and an advanced autonomous emergency braking system which can detect and avoid collisions with pedestrians.

In New Zealand, the Audi A5 also includes lane support systems as standard, although in Australia this technology is optional.

European variants of the Volvo S90 include a driver knee airbag, which is not available on the models released in New Zealand and Australia.

ANCAP is supported by all Australian motoring clubs, the New Zealand Automobile Association, the Australian Government, the New Zealand Government, Australian state and territory governments, the Victorian Transport Accident Commission, NRMA Insurance and the FIA Foundation.

The full list of ANCAP’s vehicle safety ratings, other vehicle safety information and the specifications of the rated vehicles are available online at ANCAP.co.nz or rightcar.govt.nz.