PUTRAJAYA, MALAYSIA, 28 July 2026 — The New Car Assessment Program for Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN NCAP) has announced a significant milestone in automotive safety with the launch of the Intelligent Vehicle Advanced Safety Assessment (IVASA). Designed as a dedicated evaluation platform, IVASA aims to rigorously assess the real-world performance, safety, and reliability of intelligent and autonomous vehicle technologies entering the ASEAN market.
Addressing the Unique Demands of ASEAN Roads
As the global automotive industry undergoes a major shift toward electrification, intelligence, and connectivity, Southeast Asia has emerged as a primary growth hub. The region is seeing rapid adoption of Level 2 and Level 2+ (L2/L2+) intelligent driving systems, evolving far beyond basic Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). Concurrently, regional governments are introducing supportive policies to accelerate the adoption of smart vehicles.
However, the rapid influx of these advanced systems presents unique regional challenges. ASEAN road networks feature complex traffic conditions, diverse vehicle types, high densities of vulnerable road users (VRUs) such as motorcycles, and localised driving behaviours that differ significantly from other countries’ traffic environments.
Ts. Yahaya Ahmad, Technical Leader of ASEAN NCAP,
stated:
"To ensure passenger vehicles are truly equipped for Southeast Asia,
we must evaluate intelligent technologies within the context of our local road
realities. IVASA was established to bridge this gap, creating specialised assessment
protocols that safeguard drivers while supporting the safe deployment of
next-generation mobility."
To support robust technical execution, ASEAN NCAP has partnered with the China Automotive Engineering Research Institute (CAERI), designating it as the Testing Partner for the IVASA program.
Leveraging joint technical expertise, ASEAN NCAP and CAERI have structured a multidimensional assessment framework evaluating three core pillars: Safety, Performance, and Human-Machine Interaction.
The IVASA testing protocol focuses on three main assessment procedures:
- Basic Driving Assistance: Evaluates Car-to-Car, Car-to-Truck, Car-to-VRU (pedestrians/motorcyclists) and localised Road Feature responses.
- Intelligent Driving Assistance: Public road test on capabilities across both Urban and Highway driving scenarios.
- Intelligent Cabin Interaction: Assesses interior intelligence, including Driver Monitoring Systems (DMS) and Voice Interaction responsiveness.
Unlike the traditional ASEAN NCAP star-rating system, IVASA is a distinct 'beyond rating' initiative targeting intelligent vehicle safety systems. IVASA results will utilise a granular performance scale: Good (G), Average (A), Moderate (M), Weak (W), and Poor (P). This detailed scoring provides automotive manufacturers with precise engineering references and offers consumers clear, actionable safety data.
Pilot Testing Underway & Call for OEM Participation
Pilot testing for IVASA has officially commenced in Malaysia, focusing on real-world, high-density traffic scenarios. Data gathered from these trials will serve as a baseline to refine the assessment framework and ensure its long-term relevance.
