The Australasian New Car Assessment Program, Australia’s leading vehicle safety advocate, today announced two more vehicles costing less than $30,000 – the Mitsubishi Lancer and the Hyundai i30 – have received a five-star safety rating.

To be perfectly honest, I was surprised that the Hyundai results were so strong, as traditionally they have not been known for their safety performance. This is a fantastic result, and one that should perhaps shame some of the larger manufacturers (remember the Holden Barina result?), into taking some further action in regard to their safety performance.

ANCAP Chair, Lauchlan McIntosh, said the trend towards safer vehicles was now filtering through to the small car market, making safety a genuine option for new car buyers in this price range.

“What we are now seeing is the provision of the latest vehicle safety features in cars below $30,000 – which is great news for consumers,” Mr McIntosh said.

“The Lancer result is a good outcome for Mitsubishi and we congratulate them on the vehicle – it scored well in the three crash tests conducted and it was pleasing to see the high-spec model with side curtain airbags which protect the head,” Mr McIntosh said.

The 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer rated highly for occupant protection following a series of crash tests – a frontal offset, a side offset and a pole test. The model tested was the top-spec model, which includes head-protecting side air bags and Electronic Stability Control (ESC) – both prerequisites for a five-star rating under ANCAP’s rating methodology. The lower spec Lancer scored four stars.

The Hyundai i30, which also includes side curtains and ESC, achieved five stars after a recent modification improved the vehicle’s knee impact area, which ANCAP had raised as an issue. The New Zealand i30 will receive the same upgrade. Similar to the Lancer, the lower spec i30 scores four stars.

For a full list of ANCAP’s vehicle safety ratings and other vehicle safety information, go to www.ancap.com.au

As GoAuto rightly point out on their website today, the Hyundai decision comes after highlighting the importance of ESC upon the Santa Fe's release last year.

At that time, Hyundai issued a press release pointing to studies by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that “show ESC-equipped SUVs have 63 percent fewer fatalities in single-vehicle crashes”.

The Hyundai release also claimed ESC is “reckoned by experts to be the car industry’s most effective life-saving technology since ABS and especially relevant in SUVs with their taller stance and higher centre of gravity”.

Not surprisingly, Australia's peak motoring bodies have been highly critical of Hyundai's about face.

RACV chief engineer Michael Case criticised HMCA for moving away from fitting ESC across the entire Santa Fe range.

“If ESC was standard, to then make it available only on selected models is a backward step,” Mr Case told GoAuto. “We are calling on all manufacturers to make ESC available, ideally as standard equipment, and if not then at least an affordable option.”

So, what does this all mean?

Hyundai have gone on public record to state that they recognise the safety benefits associated with fitting ESC to their products. In fitting ESC to their Santa Fe range of SUV's their customers are at a significantly lower risk of being killed in a single vehicle crash.

Just over 12 months later Hyundai, having previously acknowledged the life saving benefits of ESC, make the decision to remove ESC as standard from it's Santa Fe range.

In simple terms, Hyundai can be seen as removing a safety feature, in the knowledge that in doing so, they are making their vehicle "less safe" for their customers.

Hopefully people see this for what it is. A disgraceful example of opportunistic cost cutting at the expense of driver and passenger safety.

The question needs to be asked, at what point will car companies be held accountable for the decisions they make? Should a car company be held liable for knowingly placing their customers at increased risk?

Hyundai have now chosen to produce and market a vehicle that they realise more of their customers are likely to die in. That's the bottom line.

Would you order yourself a new Hyundai Santa Fe?

Note: If you disagree with Hyundai's decision, I would strongly urge you to Digg this story, and start spreading the message.