Tesla’s Model Y L, a six-seat all-wheel-drive variant of the popular electric SUV, has earned a full five-star safety rating from the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP). This impressive result underscores Tesla’s continued commitment to vehicle safety and structural integrity in one of the world’s most rigorous testing regimes. The rating, which also extends to the standard two-row Model Y, provides strong reassurance for families and buyers considering the electric crossover in markets like Australia, New Zealand, and India
The Model Y L was evaluated across four critical safety categories: Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection, Vulnerable Road User Protection, and Safety Assist. It performed particularly strongly in adult occupant protection, scoring 36.52 out of 40 points for a 91% rating. In the frontal offset test at 50 km/h, the vehicle delivered good or adequate protection for all body regions, with the driver’s chest receiving adequate safeguarding. High scores in safety assist technologies further boosted the overall result, reflecting Tesla’s advanced driver assistance systems and their effectiveness in real-world scenarios.
Child occupant protection also received solid marks, with the Model Y L achieving an 84% score. The vehicle’s design, including its standard suite of airbags and robust cabin structure, contributes to excellent protection for younger passengers. Vulnerable road user protection, an increasingly important category in modern safety assessments, stood at 86%, demonstrating effective measures to mitigate harm to pedestrians and cyclists through active and passive safety features.
Safety Assist technologies earned a 92% rating, one of the highest in its class. Features such as Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) for car-to-car scenarios, speed assistance, driver monitoring, and seatbelt reminders performed exceptionally well. These systems highlight Tesla’s focus on preventative safety measures that go beyond traditional crashworthiness.
The ANCAP five-star rating applies to the Model Y L imported as a completely built unit (CBU) from Tesla’s Shanghai facility, which also supplies right-hand-drive markets. Importantly, the same top rating covers the more common two-row, five-seat Model Y configuration. This broad applicability ensures that a wide range of Model Y buyers can benefit from the validated safety performance, regardless of seating layout.
This latest achievement builds on Tesla’s strong global safety reputation, where Model Y variants have consistently performed well in other major testing programs. For consumers prioritising safety in the competitive electric SUV segment, the five-star ANCAP result reinforces the Model Y as a leading choice that combines innovative electric performance with top-tier protection for occupants and other road users.
