ANCAP: Three stars for 2024 MG MG3

Australia’s top selling light car, the new 2024 MG MG3 hatchback, has become the latest model from the Chinese brand to struggle in the independent ANCAP safety testing, being awarded only three out of five stars.

The result follows on from the MG5 sedan’s headline-grabbing zero-star rating last year, a result that prompted MG to promise a safety update for that car in early 2025.

In MG’s current line-up, only the carsales Car of the Year-winning electric MG4 has five ANCAP stars, although the new MG HS SUV is yet to have a score published.

But while ANCAP had to buy up to six MG5s for evaluation, MG Australia supplied the MG3s for testing while ANCAP covered the cost of the testing in a co-operative exercise.

And the language coming from the safety body in assessing the test result is certainly more encouraging than condemnatory this time around, with testers highlighting the progress made over the old MG3, which it never tested.

“This rating for the MG3 is important as its predecessor offered limited safety,” ANCAP CEO Carla Hoorweg said.

“The MG3’s safety scores were healthy in some areas, particularly vulnerable road user protection, however there are still a number of opportunities for MG to deliver safety improvements and we encourage them to consider these findings in future vehicle upgrades.”

“The physical size of the MG 3 puts it at a disadvantage in a mixed fleet which is why we would have liked to have seen this new model offer better physical protection and restraints, but we’ve definitely seen some green shoots with this vehicle in comparison to the model it superseded and our other most-recently rated MG – the zero-star MG5.”

While ANCAP tested the MG3 hybrid, the rating also applies to the orthodox petrol models, and while the MG3 is also on sale in Europe, the testing was done locally by ANCAP against its own 2023-25 protocols rather than adapted from Euro NCAP results.

Across the four testing pillars that make up an ANCAP rating, the MG3 scored well enough for five stars (76%) in its vulnerable road user protection score while its adult (72%) and child (74%) occupant protection ratings were in the four star band.

But a low 58 per cent rating for its safety assists dropped the MG3 into three-star territory seeing as the overall rating is determined by a vehicle’s weakest test category. If it had scored 60 per cent it would have climbed to an overall four-star rating.

ANCAP reported a varying level of protection for adult and child occupants – the driver’s right shoulder was subject to high impact forces in the oblique pole test.

A penalty was also applied for the rear adult passenger in the full width test, as the seatbelt allowed excessive forward head movement. Both the head and chest of the rear passenger were assessed as marginal in this test, with good and adequate results seen for the driver and rear passenger’s legs.

The frontal offset test yielded a mix of good, adequate and marginal results, with hard areas of the underside of the dashboard likely to present a higher injury risk to the legs of front sear occupants. A penalty was applied as a result.

Poor and marginal scores were recorded for the chest of the 10-year-old child dummy in the side impact and frontal offset tests respectively.

ANCAP criticised the MG3’s lack of a centre airbag between the front passengers and penalised its score as a result, but praised the addition of driver assists systems such as autonomous emergency braking and active lane support.

While the AEB performed well in forward-travel and turning scenarios, it did not respond in reversing, crossing or head-on emergency braking scenarios. That reduced its scores in both vulnerable road user protection and safety assist assessments.

An MG Australia spokesperson told carsales the brand welcomed the feedback from ANCAP and said it had already “been in active discussions” with head office which in turn has set about “implementing enhancements to further elevate safety features for the all-new MG3”.

“We anticipate the additional safety measures will bring the current rating to a higher level, in line with our expectations,” they said.

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