New Zealand is set to get a new SUV with a five-star safety rating when the Mazda CX-60 arrives later this year in plug-in hybrid and petrol mild-hybrid form.
The five-seat model’s all-round performance was deemed ‘Good’ by new car safety testing programme ANCAP, with record top scores being observed for its ability to protect child occupants (93 per cent) and vulnerable road users (89 per cent).
Physical crash tests of the CX-60 saw it receive maximum points for the protection of the driver and children in a side impact, as well as to the driver in the oblique pole test which is considered more severe.
ANCAP noted that all child restraint types can be safely accommodated in all three rear seating positions.
‘Good’ results for the front passenger were recorded for the frontal offset test, but the protection of the driver’s chest and legs in this scenario were only given respective ‘Adequate’ and ‘Marginal’ scores. Furthermore, penalties were applied for the risk of a potential knee injury to different-sized occupants, alongside the incorrect deployment of the knee airbag.
Full points were awarded for the CX-60’s standard centre airbag in the front row which is designed to reduce occupant-to-occupant and occupant-to-vehicle contact.
Another area in which the CX-60 performed well was with its safety and driver assistance systems. This includes the forward-moving autonomous emergency braking (AEB) feature which earnt a high score for its detection of pedestrians, cyclists, and other vehicles.
The lane support system showed ‘Good’ performance in some areas, but fell behind in the emergency lane keeping (ELK) test scenarios which warranted a ‘Marginal’ score.
The five-star safety rating applies to PHEV, petrol-, and diesel-powered variants of the CX-60.
“The CX-60 will be a welcome and safe addition to the Medium SUV segment, and provide varied choices to customers looking for a safe and environmentally friendly vehicle,” said ANCAP CEO, Carla Hoorweg.
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