A federal government regulation mandating specific technical requirements for autonomous emergency braking (AEB) systems in new cars is being blamed for the discontinuation of multiple models.
Australian Design Rule 98/00, first announced in November 2021, requires all newly launched models from March 1, 2023 to follow specific AEB requirements.
Now, this regulation will apply to all vehicles on sale from March 1, 2025.
Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now.
New vehicles must be complied before this date if they are to be sold beyond it.
It’s not the only new regulation covering AEB, with ADR 98/01 – mandating AEB systems with pedestrian detection – having come into effect from August 1, 2024 for all new vehicle introductions.
This will also be applied to all new vehicles on sale from August 1, 2026.
Both ADRs apply to all MA, MB, MC and NA category vehicles – in other words, all passenger vehicles, SUVs and vans, as well as utes with a gross vehicle mass of under 3.5 tonnes.
ADR 98/00 is based on United Nations Regulation No. 152, which requires AEB systems to be able to detect another vehicle and apply the brakes if necessary at speeds of between 10 and 60km/h, and between 20 and 60km/h for pedestrians and cyclists.
The regulation also specifies it shall not be possible to manually deactivate the system at a speed above 10km/h, though vehicles can offer an automatic override for situations such as off-road use so long as these scenarios are clearly communicated to the owner.
So, which models have been affected?
Fiat
It’s understood the petrol-powered Fiat 500 and Abarth 595 hatchbacks don’t comply with either ADR.
Stellantis Australia confirmed last August it was “no longer bringing in petrol [non-electric vehicles]”, though they remain on price lists while stock remains.
Mahindra
Mahindra’s Pik-Up ute and Scorpio large SUV both lack any form of AEB, though the company confirmed late in 2023 that it planned to give the latter a safety update as part of a mid-cycle refresh.
We have contacted Mahindra Australia to follow-up, however, it has yet to provide clarification.
Mazda
In January, Mazda Australia confirmed it was axing the long-running Mazda 6 sedan and wagon after almost 13 years on the market.
The mid-sizer’s AEB system hadn’t been certified to meet ADR 98/00.
Production for our market has already ended, though Mazda confirmed there’s “healthy supply” across the entire Mazda 6 lineup at dealerships nationwide.
Mazda has yet to confirm whether a replacement is coming.
In December, Mazda Australia also axed entry-level versions of its Mazda 2 light car and CX-3 small SUV which used a less sophisticated AEB system.
Mitsubishi
In January, Mitsubishi Motors Australia confirmed it was axing the Eclipse Cross small SUV and Pajero Sport large SUV as their AEB systems didn’t meet the standards outlined in ADR 98/00.
The current ASX small SUV is also being replaced with a restyled version of the Renault Captur.
The current Pajero Sport, ASX and Eclipse Cross are understood to have ended production in December 2024 for our market, though Mitsubishi says it has been able to shore up supply of these vehicles into 2025.
“Given the position of ASX, Eclipse Cross and Pajero Sport in their current life cycles, investment towards the re-engineering of these vehicles to incorporate the new ADRs was not commercially feasible,” said Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited CEO Shaun Westcott.
“As a result, Australian production of these vehicles has ended. This is not unprecedented; we have seen similar situations before, and our teams are well prepared to manage this transition.
“We have worked closely with our dealer partners to ensure each model line will be ordered in sufficient quantities ahead of time. This will support our customers while we continue to confirm our future model plans as a core Mitsubishi market.
“We will announce these future models in due course.”
A replacement for the Pajero Sport is expected, with Mitsubishi Motors Australia confirming the company intends to continue having a presence in each segment it currently competes in.
Suzuki
Production of the current Ignis, S-Cross and Vitara SUVs, and the Swift Sport warm hatch has ended for Australia, with Suzuki Australia managing director Michael Pachota confirming to CarExpert they’ve reached the end of their local lifecycles.
Suzuki Australia says it will have enough stock of the aforementioned models to continue selling them this year.
“Whilst we have stopped production orders of these vehicles, we will have inventory to continue sales in 2025,” said Mr Pachota.
“In effect, the product is not ‘axed’, more so each model specified is actually at the end of its life cycle, which was always part of our product planning.”
“Whilst Jimny XL is unaffected, Jimny 3-Door currently does not meet the newly introduced ADR requirements, however investigations in overcoming this are already at play and our position on this product are yet to be confirmed – sales at this stage will continue in 2025,” Mr Pachota added.
The Jimny is by far Suzuki’s best-selling vehicle, and depending on how soon the three-door version can be made compliant any absence from showrooms could significantly impact the brand’s sales performance.
Of the other vehicles affected, the Ignis doesn’t have AEB and was at the end of its lifecycle.
The Swift Sport does have the feature, but evidently this system doesn’t meet the ADR – and besides, this model is at the end of its lifecycle as the previous Swift generation on which it’s based has been replaced.
Finally, hybrid versions of the Vitara and S-Cross “will be the subject of a Q3 announcement”, according to Mr Pachota, with the former confirmed to feature a more sophisticated AEB system.
