Question mark over how relevant Europe NCAP scores are to local stock.

DIFFERENCES in versions of two popular Honda sports utilities sold here and an impending Civic sedan compared with lookalikes availed in Europe mean might affect their nationally-recognised safety ratings.

This is suggested today by the Australasian New Car Assessment Programme, speaking in respect to the latest CR-V and ZR-V sports utilities, which are both on sale in New Zealand, and the Civic e:HEV petrol-electric sedan expected before year-end. 

Honda New Zealand has, as yet, offered no response.

ANCAP is the primary accepted independent safety auditor for NZ and its tests, conducted in Melbourne, are part-funded by NZ Government and associated agencies. 

It used to be supported by the NZ Automobile Association however that association has ceased.

ANCAP also sometimes adopts crash test results from Europe’s NCAP, a sister organisation. Both use a common testing regime.

However, today ANCAP drew attention to specification differences between the CR-V (top), ZR-V (above) and Civic e:HEV (below) as they sell in Europe and as they present in this part of the world.

Because of this, timing for the release of ANCAP safety ratings for those models remains unclear as the safety organisation awaits additional information.

It said today it is working with the Japanese make to undertake additional physical and virtual evaluations of those Australasian versions before it can release its own results.

These results would be based on existing Euro NCAP testing conducted between 2022 and 2024, which saw a five-star score applied to some versions of the CR-V last week under the latest 2023-25 criteria and a five-star score for the Civic in 2022 under less stringent 2020-22 criteria.

The ZR-V received a four-star Euro NCAP score in 2023 as it  fell short of meeting the required five star thresholds for adult protection and safety assistance.

Some versions of the CR-V sold in Europe also received a four-star safety rating due to a safety assistance score below the 70 percent requirement for a five-star result.

Euro NCAP notes four-star CR-V variants – not fitted with an optional 'Honda Sensing 360' safety package – lack corner radars that “significantly enhanced AEB (autonomous emergency braking) performance” for vehicle and pedestrian detection.

Honda Australia has told media across the Tasman the Australasian CR-V lacks the two front corner radars for enhanced AEB detection available in European versions, as this region’s CR-Vs are sourced from a different factory in Thailand.

The lack of this enhanced AEB detection could limit the CR-V's potential to receive a five-star safety rating from ANCAP.

These Euro NCAP scores only apply to hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions of the CR-V, ZR-V and Civic, as petrol-only models are not offered in Europe – except for the Civic Type R hot hatch.

Meantime, when releasing the new generation of its smallest crossover, the HR-V, Honda NZ said that even though that model has yet to achieve a ANCAP score, there is expectation it cannot do better than four stars, as it does not have the full suite of assists the auditor now considers as being necessary for consideration for a maximum score.