Raising the bar for safety is important, according to Chery, suggesting its current driver-assist systems would meet new five-star standards.
Family Cars
Chery Australia stands behind the new 2026 ANCAP safety protocols, and believes its current advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) calibration would pass the new tests designed to dock points for annoying technology.
Introduced in this year, to be maintained for three years before another update, the latest protocols will see ANCAP assess lane-keep assist, speed sign recognition, and driver attention monitoring more closely – and deduct points if it deems the systems to be “irritating”.
Speaking to Drive, Chery Australia Chief Operating Officer Lucas Harris said the Chinese brand would not recalibrate or retune its ADAS technology “because, frankly, I think that our cars would meet the requirements anyway”.
Harris said raising the bar for five-star vehicle safety is crucial to ensure the continued protection of road users.
“I think what they [ANCAP and Euro NCAP] are doing is good, and I think we do need someone somewhere pushing that bar for safety – whether everyone totally likes or agrees with that bar, that’s a bit irrelevant,” Harris said.
“But we need to constantly be moving forward.
“The ’26 protocol changes are not really that significant, frankly, and in some of the instances I actually think it makes [five stars] a little more achievable.
“The more difficult part is where they’ve made changes to ADAS operation, which I think is a good change – it’s a bit more focused on driver experience and repeatability.
“If a brand wants to complain about it, then that’s a matter for them.
“I just see it as a challenge that we need to push ourselves and push R&D even harder to give us what we want.”
At the time of writing, no Australian vehicles have been subject to ANCAP’s latest safety protocols.
Family Cars Guide
Tung Nguyen has been in the automotive journalism industry for over a decade, cutting his teeth at various publications before finding himself at Drive in 2024. With experience in news, feature, review, and advice writing, as well as video presentation skills, Tung is a do-it-all content creator. Tung’s love of cars first started as a child watching Transformers on Saturday mornings, as well as countless hours on PlayStation’s Gran Turismo, meaning his dream car is a Nissan GT-R, with a Liberty Walk widebody kit, of course.
