Independent auto safety authority ANCAP has awarded a quartet of new or updated models five-star safety ratings, including the stretched version of Australia’s best-selling electric vehicle (EV).
The BYD Seal 6, MG 4 EV Urban, Skoda Octavia and Tesla Model Y L all received five-star ratings based on 2023-25 testing criteria, not the new 2026 criteria.
The Tesla Model Y L, a new six-seat version of the Model Y mid-size electric SUV that narrowly remains the best-selling EV Down Under, received an adult occupant protection rating of 91 per cent, a child occupant protection rating of 84 per cent, a vulnerable road user protection rating of 86 per cent, and a safety assist rating of 92 per cent.
ANCAP says its overall five-star rating is based on testing of the related Model Y, albeit “with additional testing and assessments undertaken to make sure results were applicable to the longer-wheelbase variant”.
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It cautions that “difficulties were identified with child restraint installation in second-row seating positions, where many restraints could not be correctly installed due to limitations with top-tether routing”.
Rearward-facing and forward-facing convertible child restraints also couldn’t be easily installed using the ISOFIX anchorages in the third row.
The Model Y L’s safety report is a sea of green, with predominately ‘Good’ ratings for the various safety tests. However, ANCAP did note that driver chest protection was ‘Adequate’ in the frontal offset crash test and full-width frontal test, and ‘Marginal’ in the oblique pole test.
The BYD Seal 6 sedan and wagon received an adult occupant protection rating of 92 per cent, a child occupant protection rating of 90 per cent, a vulnerable road user protection rating of 84 per cent, and a safety assist rating of 84 per cent.
As with the Model Y L, the safety report lists plenty of Good ratings, though in the frontal offset test protection of the driver’s chest and lower legs was only Adequate.
The MG 4 EV Urban received an adult occupant protection rating of 87 per cent, a child occupant protection rating of 86 per cent, a vulnerable road user protection rating of 85 per cent, and a safety assist rating of 82 per cent.
In the frontal offset test, ANCAP found Adequate protection for the driver’s chest and upper legs, and noted structures in the dashboard were a “potential source of injury for the driver”.
The safety authority also noted the seatbelt for the rear passenger allowed “excessive forward movement” in the full-width frontal test, with protection of the head rated as Marginal.
Finally, the Skoda Octavia was reassessed and retains its five-star rating for vehicles built from July 2025, which went on sale in March 2026.
The hatch and wagon range received an adult occupant protection rating of 85 per cent, a child occupant protection rating of 81 per cent, a vulnerable road user protection rating of 81 per cent, and a safety assist rating of 82 per cent.
|
Model |
Adult occupant protection |
Child occupant protection |
Vulnerable road user protection |
Safety assist |
|
BYD Seal 6 |
92% |
90% |
84% |
84% |
|
MG 4 EV Urban |
87% |
86% |
85% |
82% |
|
Skoda Octavia |
85% |
81% |
81% |
82% |
|
Tesla Model Y L |
91% |
84% |
86% |
92% |
MORE: Everything BYD Seal 6 • MG 4 EV Urban • Skoda Octavia • Tesla Model Y
