Launched locally last year, the Hyundai Staria is certainly the most futuristic van sold in New Zealand at the minute. And as it turns out, it’s also the safest.
ANCAP has released a new Commercial Van Safety Comparison report, comparing 16 different vehicles in the segment and subsequently placing the Staria at the top of the totem with a 90 per cent ‘Platinum’ rating.
The result complements the five-star ANCAP safety rating that the nameplate was recently awarded. In its comprehensive test, it achieved an 85 out of 100 for adult protection, 65 for vulnerable road user protection, and 74 for safety assist.
“We’re thrilled that the Staria Load has been recognised as New Zealand’s safest van, having outperformed all other vans on the market when it comes to the level of safety if provides,” says Hyundai New Zealand general manager Chris Blair.
“Not only is the Staria Load a very capable van, it’s kitted out with segment-leading technology and safety features offering van drivers piece of mind.”
The news comes as organisations like ANCAP increase the focus they place on safety in commercial vehicles. Where in the past commercial vehicles had a reputation for not packing the same safety features as typical passenger vehicles, today these same features are expected.
“This analysis provides added value to fleet and commercial van operators as it extends beyond ANCAP’s traditional star rating program to shine a light on the active safety performance of an important segment,” says ANCAP Chief Executive Officer, Carla Hoorweg.
“Vans are a workplace. Their increased on-road exposure and frequent use in built-up urban areas means they interact with a large number of other vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists.
“ It is essential that fleet and van operators are aware of the crash avoidance capabilities and active safety features fitted to their vehicles.
“To help fleet, business and private consumers make informed purchasing decisions across this section of the market we’ve assessed the performance of the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) available across a range of commercial vans.”
The ANCAP Commercial Van Safety Comparison Report compared standard safety features across 16 different vans. The test was based on nine specific safety systems (including Autonomous Emergency Braking, Lane Keep Assist, and driver monitoring), and whether they were standard in each van.
The Staria was one of just two vans to have all nine features come as standard, with the other van to achieve the feat being the Toyota Hiace.
It’s worth acknowledging that between the Staria and the Hiace, the Hiace has a superior ANCAP rating (94 adult protection, 84 vulnerable road user protection, 77 safety assist), but these results were achieved during ANCAP’s less stringent testing regime in 2019 while the Staria was tested in 2021.
At the other end of the scale the Renault Master earned the lowest score, with only one of the nine safety features (a speed limiter) coming as standard, and just two others being optional extras.
The Renault Trafic and Mitsubishi Express were near the bottom, too, both offering just one feature as standard and one other feature, intelligent seatbelt reminders, on the driver’s side only.
