MG Australia has officially pledged to ensure that all of its vehicles moving forward will meet the maximum five-star rating under ANCAP safety standards. The company has even promised to revisit and upgrade models that previously fell short of the benchmark, with the goal of bringing the entire lineup in line with top-tier safety expectations.
This renewed focus on safety was underscored by MG Australia’s managing director, Peter Ciao, during the recent launch of the brand’s new U9 ute. In his remarks, Ciao set a clear standard for the brand’s direction. He emphasized that there will be no compromises when it comes to safety ratings, saying: “We can never go back, so my job is to fix for the future. For the future, no compromise, MG five stars, that’s it.” His statement effectively marked a turning point for the company’s commitment to aligning with the highest levels of occupant protection and safety technologies.
At present, of the seven MG models evaluated by ANCAP, three have not reached the full five-star status. These include the MG3 hatchback, the MG5 sedan, and the ZS small SUV. However, MG is actively addressing these shortcomings. For example, Ciao confirmed that the ZS will soon receive an update to add a center airbag, a feature specifically designed to improve performance in far-side impact tests. “We listen to our customers. When we launched the ZS, we had some lessons learned. But it’s okay, we changed and improved it. Towards the end of this year, we will catch up with this, adding the missing airbag,” he explained.
Despite this upcoming update, it is still uncertain whether ANCAP will retest the ZS, or whether the additional airbag will be sufficient to raise its adult occupant protection score from 75 percent to the required 80 percent needed for a five-star rating.
Meanwhile, the MG3 has already seen progress. After being retested by Euro NCAP, the model’s score improved from three stars to four stars thanks to new safety equipment. However, the test also revealed a unique issue: a failure of the driver’s seat adjuster, which was the first of its kind noted by the testing body. MG declined to comment on whether a fix for this problem is being developed.
Similarly, the MG5 sedan, which initially scored zero stars, has been upgraded to a three-star rating. This improvement was achieved through the introduction of additional crash protection measures and enhanced driver-assistance features.
On the other hand, MG’s other vehicles have already demonstrated strong results, achieving five-star safety ratings. These include the MG S5, the MG HS, the MG4 electric hatchback, and the recently introduced U9 ute. The U9’s rating aligns with that of its closely related sibling, the LDV Terron 9.
With this new commitment, MG Australia is positioning itself as a brand determined to shed past criticisms and push forward with a clear vision: ensuring that every new model, without exception, achieves the maximum level of safety recognition.