Mitsubishi is facing questions over its new van after it became the first vehicle ever to receive a zero-star rating from Australia's safety program.

The Express is pitched as a workhorse van that can function as a moving office for businesses on the go — but the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) found it lacked up-to-date crash avoidance technology while also posing notable risks of injury to drivers and passengers.

Here's what it takes to get a zero in Australia's car rating system.

I drive a Mitsubishi Express, is it safe?

The Mitsubishi Express returned to Australia last year after a seven-year pause on sales.

The 2020 model has become the first car to receive a zero-star rating from ANCAP.

Among the issues outlined in the report are the risk of serious injury to the chest and neck, a lack of comprehensive airbag coverage and a lack of modern safety systems.

It's important to note though that the Express is still roadworthy and meets the Australian Design Rules for vans.

It's also worth noting that ANCAP's benchmarks for new cars become stricter every year as technology evolves.

That means cars that were highly rated just a few years ago — and are still on the road today — might struggle for high marks today.

Zero stars? How do you even get that?

The van received a mark of 55 per cent on adult occupant protection and 40 per cent when it came to protection of vulnerable road users like pedestrians and cyclists, which ANCAP described as "below par".

But the factor that really dragged down the Express's rating was its lack of modern safety systems like autonomous emergency braking and lane support systems.

Given those features are absent, the Express scored just 7 per cent on safety assistance features.

Because star ratings are limited by a vehicle's lowest performing category, that meant it was impossible for the Express to get a rating higher than zero.

So why were modern safety features absent in a car released last year?

While the 2020 Mitsubishi Express is a new model, it's actually a rebadged version of the Renault Trafic which was designed to meet older safety standards in Europe, where it received a three-star rating in 2015.

But ANCAP's chief executive Carla Hoorweg said drivers expected high levels of safety assurance when buying a new car.

"We know Mitsubishi can deliver vehicles with high levels of overall safety and a wide range of modern safety technologies and we encourage them to accelerate the introduction of these features into their van product."

Will it still be allowed on the road?

There's nothing in the ANCAP report that would prevent the Express being driven on Australian roads, but the decision could impact its sales in Australia.

That's because vans are generally purchased by businesses, which often purchase five-star rated vehicles exclusively in order to limit their liability in the event of a crash.

Despite the van's poor performance in the safety tests, Mitsubishi will continue to sell the van, which a spokeswoman said had received a three-star rating in Europe in 2015.

"There has been significant movement in the application of driver assistance technologies since that time, which has been reflected in the new … protocols against which this van has been tested," a spokeswoman said.

"The technology included in the vehicle reflects the lifecycle of commercial vehicles, which is generally eight years or more."