ANCAP's highest-scoring cars in 2020-22 revealed

ANCAP has detailed the top-performing vehicles in its outgoing 2020-22 criteria, as the year draws to a close.

Across the three-year period, 69 vehicles were rated by the safety authority, with all but seven receiving a five-star score.

The vehicles that fell short are; the Honda HR-V (four-star), pre-update Hyundai Palisade (four-star), Citroen C4 (four-star), and the now-discontinued Mitsubishi Express (zero stars).

The New Zealand-only Fiat 500e and Opel Mokka also received a four-star rating, as well as the Palisade.

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Shock zero-star ANCAP rating for Mitsubishi Express van

At the opposite end, the highest-scoring vehicle was the Chinese-built Tesla Model Y electric SUV.

It achieved the highest overall weighted score, at 92.6 per cent, with record-breaking scores in adult occupant protection (97 per cent) and safety assist (98 per cent).

In second place is the second-generation Lexus NX medium SUV, with an overall score of 89.2 per cent, followed by two Chinese-built people-movers, the LDV Mifa petrol and Mifa 9 electric, at 87.4 per cent.

"Once again, we've seen high levels of safety performance across a range of vehicle types and brands. Of interest this year is that each of the three highest scorers include alternative-powered models," said ANCAP CEO Carla Hoorweg.

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The highest score for child occupant protection was 93 per cent – a result shared between the latest Ford Ranger, Ford Everest, Nissan Qashqai and Nissan Pathfinder, with all rated in 2022.

Vulnerable road-user protection, which assesses how well vehicles protect pedestrians and cyclists in a collision, was topped by the Toyota Corolla Cross small SUV at 87 per cent.

"This clearly shows the desire and commitment of vehicle manufacturers to offer the safest vehicles they can into the Australian and New Zealand markets, and the continued appetite of consumers and fleet buyers who expect the highest level of safety," added Hoorweg.

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"We know the continued injection of the safest vehicles onto our roads has tangible road safety and economic benefits, and this strong performance of models rated over the past three years will see even an even greater number of lives saved and serious injuries avoided."

In New Zealand, the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Volkswagen T7 Multivan achieved a five-star rating, with neither vehicle currently locked in for Australia.

ANCAP's testing criteria will expand in 2023, with an expansion for motorcycle detection, child presence detection, and vehicle submergence.

For everything you need to know about the new criteria, click on the link below.

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In another change, a newly-introduced six-year time stamp means a number of ratings for some of Australia's most popular vehicles will be removed on December 31, 2022.

This includes the Mazda 2 and CX-3, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and Triton, Nissan Navara, Suzuki Vitara, Volkswagen Passat (2015), Mitsubishi ASX (2014), Toyota LandCruiser Prado (2011), and Fiat 500 (2008).

The removal of a rating potentially limits fleet purchases until next-generation models launch in the coming years, as many fleets mandate a five-star ANCAP rating. Popular ride-share application Uber also requires a five-star score for its vehicles.

The current ratings will still apply for cars produced between the test date and 2022, but will appear under the 'previous models' section on ANCAP's website, with an 'unrated' label for 2023 and later vehicles.