ANCAP: Range Rover Velar scores five stars

THE Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) has awarded Range Rover’s Velar medium SUV a five-star safety rating on the back of strong results across the board, particularly in the area of adult occupant protection.

Based on scores awarded by Euro NCAP, Range Rover’s newest model managed a score of 35.47 out of 38 (93 per cent) in the adult occupant protection section, scoring full marks in the side impact test and pole test, and 7.2 and 7.4 out of eight for the full width frontal and frontal offset tests, respectively.

Marks were deducted in the full width frontal test for ‘acceptable’ and ‘marginal’ protection for the driver and rear passenger chest areas, while the frontal offset test saw deductions for the driver’s chest and lower left leg, also rated ‘acceptable’.

The whiplash protection test netted a score of 1.92 out of three, with the rear occupant only returning a ‘marginal’ score.

Child occupant protection testing returned a score of 41.85 out of 49 (85 per cent), with the frontal offset test returning ‘good’ or ‘marginal’ ratings for the six- and ten-year-old dummies except for the neck of the ten-year-old, which returned a ‘marginal’ score.

Both dummies returned ‘good’ protection across all areas in the side impact test.

The pedestrian protection test returned a score of 31.29 out of 42 (74 per cent), recording good protection on the centre of the bonnet and lower bumper, while ‘poor’ ratings were recorded around the A-pillars and upper side bumpers.

Extra points were awarded for the Velar’s as-standard autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system, which worked well on the pedestrian protection test.

In the safety assistance section, the Velar recorded a score of 31.29 out of 42 (74 per cent), scoring full points for seatbelt reminders (three out of three), while performing strongly in the lane support systems and interurban AEB tests.

When testing the forward collision warning system, the Velar scored 13.81 out of 18 approaching a stationary vehicle, and full points when approaching a braking vehicle with both short and long headways.

For AEB, the Velar scored 10.62 out of 11 when approaching a slow-moving vehicle, and 1.56 out of two approaching a braking vehicle with a short headway, increasing to 1.65 with a long headway.

Speed assistance systems returned a meagre score of 1.25 out three, with speed information and automatic speed assistance areas not registering a score. The vehicle’s manual speed assistance system was responsible for all of the 1.25 points.

Lane departure warning and six airbags are fitted as standard.

ANCAP CEO James Goodwin praised the Velar for its overall score.

“The Velar arrives to our market with strong all-round safety performance resulting in a 5 star ANCAP safety rating,” he said.

“Autonomous emergency braking is provided as a standard feature on the Velar, and it operates effectively at high and low-speeds, and can detect and react to pedestrians.”