Holden has stepped up its safety game with its latest Colorado by not only looking after everyone inside the vehicle, but also pedestrians on the road.

The much loved ute has just achieved a 5 star ANCAP safety rating and has turned the tables on ute pedestrian safety. It came through the tests with a ‘Good’ level of pedestrian protection by minimising the impact on adults and children on the road in the event of a crash.

AA Motoring Services General Manager Stella Stocks says traditionally utes scored poorly in pedestrian protection tests.

“It’s fantastic to see Holden putting more emphasis on safety design elements outside of the vehicle, an area that many utes have struggled with in the past, largely only receiving poor ratings,” she says.

But Holden’s safety focus isn’t just on the external elements of the Colorado. The updated model comes equipped with a raft of safety technologies as standard including dual curtain and a driver knee airbag as standard. It also boasts Antilock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Emergency Brake Assist (EBA), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and a string of other safety technologies.

“Traditionally utes have always been a little behind passenger vehicles in terms of safety features, but Holden has really taken a firm step forward here on safety and that’s a positive advancement to see,” says Ms Stocks.

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.

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.