AustraliaANCAP, the Australian and New Zealand new-car safety rating body, has awarded five stars to the GAC Aion UT, the BYD M9 and the Xpeng X9. It also took points off the Aion UT and the X9 because too many everyday controls sit in the touchscreen. Both cars kept the full five stars, and the published reports give no points figure for the deduction.
| Model | Safe Driving (%) | Crash Avoidance (%) | Crash Protection (%) | Post Crash (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GAC Aion UT | 68 | 74 | 90 | 88 |
| BYD M9 | 75 | 78 | 89 | 100 |
| Xpeng X9 | 56 | 82 | 91 | 91 |
What was marked down
On the Aion UT, a small electric hatchback, ANCAP took points off because of the number of commonly used functions that can only be reached through the touchscreen. It also marked down the car’s adaptive cruise control, which does not adapt to roundabouts and intersections.
On the Xpeng X9, an electric people mover, ANCAP found that it relies “too heavily on interaction with the vehicle’s screen interface” for some key driving controls, which can increase driver distraction. The BYD M9, a plug-in hybrid people mover from BYD, drew no touchscreen criticism in the reports. The five-star rating covers seven-seat M9 variants only; eight-seat versions are unrated. The X9’s rating applies to all variants.
What ANCAP wants
In its release on the two cars, ANCAP said headlights, windscreen wipers, demisters, side mirrors and hazard lights, along with audio, telephone and climate controls, rely too heavily on touchscreen interaction rather than physical controls. Chief executive Carla Hoorweg said: “We want to see carmakers bring back buttons for the functions drivers use every day.” She named adjusting the wipers, switching on the headlights and clearing a fogged-up windscreen as jobs that should be doable without taking your attention off the road.
The Aion UT and X9 were assessed under ANCAP’s 2026-2028 rating criteria, which recently took effect. Separately, China has approved rules that will require physical controls for a set of safety functions, and Mercedes is bringing buttons back in its interiors.
