Top 10 Safest Family Cars for Kids - ANCAP Ratings 2024

While modern cars have come leaps and bounds in terms of safety in recent years, that doesn’t make them all equal when it comes to keeping your kids safe.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the ten safest family cars for kids with the help of the latest round of 2024 ANCAP safety ratings.

What is an ANCAP Safety Rating?

Before we get into our list, let’s take a look at how new cars are rated on safety for kids.

Here in Australia, vehicles are tested by the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) which breaks safety ratings down into key parts and publishes them for prospective buyers.

Each car is given a score out of 100 for things like adult occupant protection, child occupant protection, vulnerable (pedestrian) road user protection and their safety assist technologies.

Vehicles are put to their paces and given a ranking between one and five stars, while more specific information like their child protection or pedestrian protection are marked individually.

This percentage score gives us a better view of the safest family cars specifically for kids, which is the dataset we’ll be using to find out your best options in 2024.

Using the latest data from ANCAP, we can take a look at the top ten performers for a safe family car.

We’ve looked for vehicles that have been tested recently under ANCAP’s more stringent test protocols, with the ten highest-ranking vehicles for family safety found below.

Mazda CX-60

Mazda’s next-generation SUV lineup has been quick to make an impression with family buyers here in Australia, with the midsize CX-60 platform upholding the company’s reputation for safe, family-friendly packages.

During its 2023 tests, the Mazda CX-60 scored 46 out of 49 for child occupant protection, putting it atop the list of safest midsize SUV family packages on the market.

• Child Occupant Protection: 93%

• Adult Occupant Protection: 91%

• Vulnerable Road User Protection: 89%

• Safety Assist: 77%

• Safety Rating: Five-star

GWM Tank 500

GWM’s Tank 500 has secured a five-star ANCAP safety rating recently, with the company’s adventurous seven-seat SUV scoring particularly high when it comes to child protection.

Atop a jam-packed safety equipment list, the Tank 500’s score of 46 out of a possible 49 gave it a 93 per cent ranking for child occupant protection under ANCAP’s strict new test procedures.

• Child Occupant Protection: 93%

• Adult Occupant Protection: 85%

• Vulnerable Road User Protection: 81%

• Safety Assist: 84%

• Safety Rating: Five-star

Ford Everest

Ford’s almighty family wagon, the Everest, has proven itself as one of the most versatile SUV packages on the market when it comes to smooth on-road manners bolstered by immense off-road performance.

To add to its accomplishments, ANCAP has given the Everest a child occupant protection score of 45.66 out of a possible 49, making it one of the safest seven-seat SUVs currently on the market.

• Child Occupant Protection: 93%

• Adult Occupant Protection: 86%

• Vulnerable Road User Protection: 74%

• Safety Assist: 86%

• Safety Rating: Five-star

Jeep Grand Cherokee

Jeep’s all-American family chariot, the Grand Cherokee also ranks high as a family-friendly SUV with a heap of metal and active safety gear to keep your kids safe.

During its 2022 testing, the Jeep Grand Cherokee scored 45.89 out of 49 for child safety, with a generous list of active safety equipment included as standard to keep you confident on the road.

• Child Occupant Protection: 93%

• Adult Occupant Protection: 83%

• Vulnerable Road User Protection: 81%

• Safety Assist: 84%

• Safety Rating: Five-star

Nissan Pathfinder

Buyers looking for a safe, well-equipped and extremely practical seven-seat SUV will be pleased to know that the Nissan Pathfinder has secured strong safety marks from ANCAP.

In its testing, the Pathfinder scored strong marks for child occupant protection which, combined with its spacious three-row, seven-seat layout and long list of active safety gear makes it a great option for family buyers.

• Child Occupant Protection: 93%

• Adult Occupant Protection: 86%

• Vulnerable Road User Protection: 78%

• Safety Assist: 85%

• Safety Rating: Five-star

Mercedes-Benz EQE

The Mercedes-Benz EQE is one of the most technologically advanced vehicles from a company known for its safe vehicles, with the family-friendly EQE proving itself a heavy hitter when it comes to protecting kids.

During testing, the Mercedes-Benz EQE scored 45.25 out of 49 for child occupant protection, making it one of the safest battery-electric SUVs available in 2024.

• Child Occupant Protection: 92%

• Adult Occupant Protection: 87%

• Vulnerable Road User Protection: 80%

• Safety Assist: 86%

• Safety Rating: Five-star

Mitsubishi Outlander

The Mitsubishi Outlander is one of Australia’s favourite family-friendly SUVs, with its undeniable value proposition bolstered by a long warranty program and impressive ANCAP safety scores.

During its testing in 2022, the Mitsubishi Outlander scored 45.43 out of 49 for child occupant protection, with the five- and seven-seater SUV offering a long safety equipment list, even in the base model which is a particularly nice touch for price-conscious buyers.

• Child Occupant Protection: 92%

• Adult Occupant Protection: 83%

• Vulnerable Road User Protection: 81%

• Safety Assist: 83%

• Safety Rating: Five-star

Lexus RZ

Lexus is a company celebrated for its smooth, refined and safe vehicles, with the sharp Lexus RZ proving itself a great option for buyers looking for a safe, battery-electric compact SUV package for a growing family.

During testing in 2023, the Lexus RZ scored 44 out of 49 for its child occupant protection, with Lexus’ reputation for solid build quality and clever safety tech putting it amongst the leaders of family safest in the small SUV segment.

• Child Occupant Protection: 89%

• Adult Occupant Protection: 87%

• Vulnerable Road User Protection: 84%

• Safety Assist: 84%

• Safety Rating: Five-star

Volkswagen Multivan

Large families will be thrilled to find out that the almighty Volkswagen Multivan has received strong safety marks when it comes to keeping your family safe.

With seating for up to seven inside the massive cabin, the Multivan’s practicality is matched by a strong 44 out of 49 score for child occupant protection, making for a great family all-rounder.

• Child Occupant Protection: 89%

• Adult Occupant Protection: 90%

• Vulnerable Road User Protection: 69%

• Safety Assist: 79%

• Safety Rating: Five-star

Volvo C40 Recharge

The words Volvo and safety have been synonymous for decades now, with the company’s rock-solid reputation for safety extending to its all-electric baby of the SUV range, the C40.

During testing in 2022, the Volvo C40 Recharge scored 43.81 out of 49 for child occupant protection, meaning it doesn’t disappoint when it comes to keeping everyone in the cabin comfortable and safe on every journey.

FAQ: What is the Best Family Car to Buy in 2024?

While the question of which is the best family car depends on your individual wants and needs, some of the most popular family vehicles include the Kia Carnival, Toyota RAV4, Hyundai Tucson, Mazda CX-5, Honda CR-V, Lexus NX, Nissan X-Trail, Toyota Kluger, Mitsubishi Outlander and the Mazda CX-90.

FAQ: What is the Safest Car in the World in 2024?

ANCAP doesn’t necessarily hand out an award for the single safest car, though we can calculate from its aggregate safety ratings that some of the safest vehicles on sale in 2024 include the Hyundai IONIQ 6, Tesla Model Y, Mercedes-Benz EQE and GLC, Lexus NX, Mazda CX-60, Ford Everest and Ranger, Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Volkswagen Amarok.

FAQ: What is the Safest Car to Drive with Children?

In terms of the safest car to drive with children in the back of the cabin, using our above guide is one of the most accurate means of gauging child safety in new vehicles. This means some of the safest cars to drive with children include the Mazda CX-60, Ford Everest, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Nissan Pathfinder, Mercedes-Benz EQE, Mitsubishi Outlander, Lexus RZ, Volkswagen Multivan and Volvo C40 Recharge.

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