Why did 2023 Hyundai Stargazer only get 4 stars from ASEAN NCAP?

Given how many modern vehicles score five-star safety ratings on crash tests these days, scoring less will surely get heads buzzing. Recently, the ASEAN New Car Assessment Program (ASEAN NCAP) only gave four stars to the all-new Hyundai Stargazer. So why is that the case?

Based on ASEAN NCAP's data, apparently, the Stargazer has room for improvement in terms of adult occupant protection (AOP). The report says there is a high possibility for the driver to sustain injuries to the chest and right leg in a real-world crash. In addition, in a side impact test, the Stargazer can only give marginal protection to the driver's chest.

With 40% of the test weighted on adult occupant protection (AOP), the all-new Stargazer got 31.21 out of 40.

In terms of child occupant protection, the lack of a child occupant detection feature prevented the all-new Stargazer from scoring more points, and thus ended up with 14.48 out of 20 points.

For its standard safety assist features, ASEAN NCAP only gave 12.04 out of 20. While the all-new Stargazer is equipped with ABS and ESC for all variants, the seatbelt reminders are only limited to front passengers. The rest of its points came from the Stargazer's ADAS suite, as it has optional autonomous emergency braking and lane keep assist, among others.

Meanwhile, the all-new Stargazer scored low in motorcyclist safety, as it could only score 7 out of a possible 20 points. This test considers blind spot detection, advanced rear visualization, and auto high beam features.

Overall, the Hyundai Stargazer achieved 66.48 out of 100 in the 2021-2025 ASEAN NCAP tests, which is good enough for a four-star rating.

Despite not having the perfect five stars, the all-new Stargazer still gave a decent showing on the safety tests. However, the room for improvement is something that Hyundai can take note of, as most of its rivals in the small 7-seat MPV segment were able to achieve five stars, most notably the Toyota Veloz.