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ANCAP: 4-Star Crash Safety For D-Max And Some Colorado Variants

A missing piece of safety technology has seen the Isuzu D-Max and variants in Holden's Colorado range miss out on a top five-star rating from the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP).  The 4-Star rating handed down this week – a


A missing piece of safety technology has seen the Isuzu D-Max and variants in Holden's Colorado range miss out on a top five-star rating from the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP). 

The 4-Star rating handed down this week - affecting D-Max crew-cab, along with single- and space-cab bodystyles in the Colorado range - is the result of the carmakers fitting only single pretensioners.

And while the D-Max offers seatbelt reminders for driver and front passenger, the Colorado single- and space-cab styles offer only a driver's side seatbelt reminder.

Colorado Crew-cab variants are fitted with dual pretensioners and a seatbelt reminder for both seats - a difference that results in a 5-Star rating.

ANCAP Chairman Lauchlan McIntosh said that the lower specification increases the risk of serious chest injury in a frontal offset crash. 

In models fitted with dual pretensioners, the risk of chest injury is rated as 'acceptable'. 

While the safety specifications and 4-Star ratings mark an improvement over outgoing models in both ranges, the score could put a dent in fleet sales for both brands.

Many major fleet buyers, including mining company BHP Billiton, have established policies of only purchasing 5-Star vehicles. 

Holden and Isuzu are not alone however, with Toyota's Hilux, Mitsubishi's Triton and Nissan's Navara - all 4-Star cars - in a similar position.

Toyota has confirmed it will upgrade its Hilux range over the next year to achieve a 5-Star rating. 

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