The Toyota Yaris Cross, Nissan Qashqai and VW T-Cross are among vehicles which have lost their European five-star crash-test ratings under tightened criteria.
Popular SUVs from Toyota, Nissan and Volkswagen are among the vehicles which have lost their five-star crash-test ratings in Europe under stricter criteria.
Re-testing an existing-generation vehicle allows for its safety rating to be valid for longer before it is replaced with a new model – however, it becomes subject to more stringent criteria updated by ANCAP and Euro NCAP every three years, with even newer rules being introduced in 2026.
The Volkswagen T-Cross, scoring five stars from ANCAP and Euro NCAP at its initial release in 2019, has been hit hardest, with a three-star Euro NCAP score under the current standard.
It is due to a Safety Assist score of 57 per cent, down from 80 per cent in 2019, which is below the required threshold to score four or five stars.
None of the vehicles could retain a five-star rating due to a reduction in their Adult Occupant Protection scores, which were below the required 80 per cent, ranging from 72 per cent for the Caddy and Yaris to 79 per cent for the Yaris Cross.
To be eligible for a five-star rating, a vehicle must score at least 80 per cent for Adult Occupant Protection, 80 per cent for Child Occupant Protection, 70 per cent for Vulnerable Road User Protection, and 70 per cent for Safety Assist.
In the Safety Assist category, the Qashqai is also ineligible for five stars, scoring 62 per cent in its 2025 testing, down from 95 per cent when it was originally tested in 2021, despite improvements to its active-safety suite with an updated model introduced last year.
An ANCAP spokesperson told Drive it is working with the relevant manufacturers to understand the applicability of the new Euro NCAP scores for our market.
"We are working with manufacturers to review the recent Euro NCAP results and their applicability to vehicles supplied to the AUS/NZ markets," the spokesperson said.
ANCAP's existing five-star scores for these vehicles will be retained in the meantime, but its six-year datestamp validity means the ratings for some models, such as the T-Cross's 2019 five-star result, will expire soon.
ANCAP and Euro NCAP will introduce even stricter safety standards from 2026 – set to run until the end of 2028 – with real-world testing of crash-avoidance technologies to reduce "abrupt or irritating" warnings.
Its four safety pillars have been redefined to Safe Driving, Crash Avoidance, Crash Protection and Post-Crash, while it will also mandate certain physical controls and ensure power-operated door handles remain operable after a collision.
| Vehicle | New testing (Euro NCAP) | Original testing (Euro NCAP) |
| Volkswagen T-Cross 2025: Three stars 2019: Five stars | Adult Occupant Protection: 74 per cent Child Occupant Protection: 81 per cent Vulnerable Road User Protection: 60 per cent Safety Assist: 57 per cent | Adult Occupant Protection: 97 per cent Child Occupant Protection: 86 per cent Vulnerable Road User Protection: 81 per cent Safety Assist: 80 per cent |
| Nissan Qashqai 2025: Four stars 2021: Five stars | Adult Occupant Protection: 78 per cent Child Occupant Protection: 85 per cent Vulnerable Road User Protection: 65 per cent Safety Assist: 62 per cent | Adult Occupant Protection: 91 per cent Child Occupant Protection: 91 per cent Vulnerable Road User Protection: 70 per cent Safety Assist: 95 per cent |
| Toyota Yaris 2025: Four stars 2020: Five stars | Adult Occupant Protection: 72 per cent Child Occupant Protection: 84 per cent Vulnerable Road User Protection: 83 per cent Safety Assist: 72 per cent | Adult Occupant Protection: 86 per cent Child Occupant Protection: 81 per cent Vulnerable Road User Protection: 78 per cent Safety Assist: 85 per cent |
| Toyota Yaris Cross 2025: Four stars 2021: Five stars | Adult Occupant Protection: 79 per cent Child Occupant Protection: 85 per cent Vulnerable Road User Protection: 83 per cent Safety Assist: 76 per cent | Adult Occupant Protection: 86 per cent Child Occupant Protection: 84 per cent Vulnerable Road User Protection: 78 per cent Safety Assist: 81 per cent |
| Volkswagen Caddy 2025: Four stars 2021: Five stars | Adult Occupant Protection: 72 per cent Child Occupant Protection: 80 per cent Vulnerable Road User Protection: 80 per cent Safety Assist: 71 per cent | Adult Occupant Protection: 84 per cent Child Occupant Protection: 82 per cent Vulnerable Road User Protection: 69 per cent Safety Assist: 79 per cent |
| Volkswagen Multivan 2025: Four stars 2022: Five stars | Adult Occupant Protection: 77 per cent Child Occupant Protection: 87 per cent Vulnerable Road User Protection: 78 per cent Safety Assist: 75 per cent | Adult Occupant Protection: 90 per cent Child Occupant Protection: 89 per cent Vulnerable Road User Protection: 69 per cent Safety Assist: 87 per cent |
List of vehicles currently sold in Australia with new Euro NCAP results:
Note: All results above, excluding the Tesla Model Y, are yet to be applied by ANCAP. Local results may differ from Euro NCAP.
Jordan is a motoring journalist based in Melbourne with a lifelong passion for cars. He has been surrounded by classic Fords and Holdens, brand-new cars, and everything in between from birth, with his parents’ owning an automotive workshop in regional Victoria. Jordan started writing about cars in 2021, and joined the Drive team in 2024.
