The New Car Assessment Program for Southeast Asian Countries – commonly referred to as ASEAN NCAP – which operates in collaboration with the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS), recently staged the 6th ASEAN NCAP Grand Prix Awards 2026. Held together with the 9th Vehicle Safety Course, the biennial event was held in Malaysia for a fourth time.
A key component of this year’s event involved the ASEAN NCAP Collaborative Holistic Research Project, specifically ANCHOR VI. Grants were distributed to 27 researchers backed by 23 industry representatives to conduct road safety studies. These initiatives provide the groundwork for drafting the forthcoming ASEAN NCAP 2031–2035 Assessment Protocol.
Grand Prix Awards 2026 winners
ASEAN NCAP assesses many new models sold in ASEAN markets each year and the best performing models receive awards. For the Grand Prix Awards 2026, the models were tested during the 2024/2025 cycle.
Commenting on the latest winners, Associate Professor Ir. Ts. Dr. Siti Zaharah Ishak, Director-General of MIROS and Chairperson of ASEAN NCAP, noted that the intense competition among automakers drives meaningful safety advancements, directly benefiting consumers and road-users throughout Southeast Asia.
The evaluation framework partitioned honours into two segments: the Best Safety Performance Award, determined by strict assessment metrics under the 2021–2025 protocol; and the Excellence Award, which acknowledges overall vehicle category performance and long-term organizational contributions.
Chery Group models take most 5-star ratings
As can be seen from the list of award-winners this year, models from Chery Group were among the volume contributors for achieving the most 5-Star ratings across the 2021–2025 protocol window.
The Chery Tiggo 7 scored significantly in Adult Occupant Protection, Safety Assist, and Motorcyclist Safety, while also capturing the segment title for Best SUV. Additionally, the fully electric iCAUR V23 was among the leaders in Motorcyclist Safety.
