Mitsubishi’s Express (Delica) van has become the first vehicle in Australian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) history to score a zero-star safety rating after performing badly in multiple crash tests and falling short on safety technology.
The independent testing body said in a statement that the Mitsubishi Express van, which was a popular choice before it was discontinued in 2013, was unable to qualify for a single star due to high risk and the absence of safety systems.
The Mitsubishi Express returned to Australia last year, but ANCAP found it had a “notable risk of serious injury” to the chest of the driver in three of its four crash tests.
It also scored just seven percent on Safety Assist systems and failed to protect its occupants due to a “fundamental lack of safety systems”.
Its scores were the worst in ANCAP’s 28-year history, just 55 percent for adult occupant protection and only 40 percent for “vulnerable road user” protection.
The market leading Toyota Hiace, by comparison, has a five-star ANCAP rating after scoring 94 percent for occupant protection and 84 percent for vulnerable road user protection.
“Mitsubishi recently introduced the Express into our market, but its specifications do not align with today’s safety expectations,” ANCAP chief executive Carla Hoorweg said.
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