Holden has announced that its upcoming small car, the Korean-sourced Cruze, has passed the Australasian New Car Assesment Program’s rigorous tests with flying colours, earning itself a five-star rating in the process.

The 2009 Holden Cruze scored 35.04 points out of a possible 37 under ANCAP’s recently revised testing regime, with its high level of passive and active safety features being instrumental in obtaining such a score.

Stability control and traction control are standard, as is ABS, electronic brakeforce distribution and brake assist. Seat belt reminders and pretensioning seatbelts also work in the Cruze’s favour, while six airbags - front, side and curtain - help minimise injury in a collision.

The Cruze’s steel passenger compartment is designed to disperse forces and offer a high level of cccupant protection in the event of a crash, and collapsing pedals do their bit to lower the risk of injury to the driver.

It’s an impressive amount of kit for a small car, let alone one from Australia’s own volume manufacturer. Small car buyers who were wary of the Cruze’s Korean origins may now find their views changing thanks to that strong ANCAP result, and that’s bound to please Holden.

“We know that today’s motorists want many things from a small car and that includes no compromises on safety,” Holden Chairman and Managing Director Mark Reuss said.

“Incredibly high benchmarks were set as the Cruze was being developed and the results show.”

The 2009 Holden Cruze goes on sale early next month in both petrol and diesel form. Pricing has yet to be announced.