6th ASEAN NCAP Grand Prix Awards 2026: Transport Ministry calls on automakers to tailor safety tech to Malaysian traffic needs

The 6th ASEAN NCAP Grand Prix (GP) Awards 2026 and the 9th Vehicle Safety Course (VSC 2026/009) officially convened today at the Mövenpick Hotel and Convention Centre KLIA in Sepang, Malaysia.

Officiated by Deputy Minister of Transport Malaysia, YB Datuk Haji Hasbi bin Haji Habibollah, the biennial event honored outstanding vehicle safety performers from the 2024–2025 assessment cycle while delivering a direct challenge to regional carmakers.

Delivering his officiating address, Datuk Haji Hasbi emphasised that basic regulatory compliance can no longer be the end goal for car manufacturers operating in Southeast Asia. Instead, automotive brands must evaluate vehicle performance against actual regional traffic needs and democratize advanced safety features across all price segments.

UNECE is the floor, not the ceiling

Addressing representatives from carmakers across Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, and China the Deputy Transport Minister highlighted that meeting United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) regulations provides only a baseline for crashworthiness.

"UNECE compliance is the floor, not the ceiling," stated Datuk Haji Hasbi. "I call upon all automakers present today... to work with MIROS and ASEAN NCAP to align vehicle development with the progressive ASEAN NCAP Roadmaps, evaluate performance against regional needs and advance key priorities."

The Ministry urged manufacturers to stop treating life-saving active safety technologies as premium add-ons, reinforcing that safety must be an intrinsic right for every car buyer in Malaysia and the wider ASEAN region.

Highlights of the 6th ASEAN NCAP Grand Prix Awards 2026

• Overall Best Safety Performance: Awarded to the Zeekr X, which also secured top honors in Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection and Safety Assist.
• Local Champions in Safety Assist: National automakers made strong showings in the Safety Assist category, with the Proton e.MAS 7 and Perodua QV-E taking top honors alongside the MG MGS5 EV, Chery Tiggo 7 and Zeekr X.
• Motorcyclist Safety Excellence: The BYD Seal, Chery Icar V23, GAC Emzoom and Honda Accord (2024) were recognized for superior performance in mitigating risks to motorcyclists.
• Most 5-Star Ratings (2021–2025): Awarded jointly to Honda, Toyota, Perodua, Proton, Mitsubishi and Chery for maintaining consistent top-tier safety across their product portfolios.

Additionally, under the ANCHOR VI research framework, 27 researchers were awarded grants alongside 23 industry partners to begin drafting the future ASEAN NCAP 2031–2035 Assessment Protocol, ensuring future crash testing remains grounded in regional scientific data.