Top ANCAP safety rating for Mercedes-Benz G-Class

Australia’s independent crash testing authority ANCAP has awarded a maximum five-star safety rating to the new Mercedes-Benz G-Class and GLE SUVs.

The variants covered in the rating include the Mercedes-AMG G 63 and the Mercedes-Benz GLE 300d, GLE 450 and GLE 400d from 2018 onwards -- all of which are now available in Australia and New Zealand.

Overall, the GLE rated slightly better than the G 63, receiving both good and adequate scores for driver and passenger protection across the frontal, frontal offset, side impact and whiplash test.

But protection for child occupants is where the GLE stood out, scoring 92 per cent, which ANCAP chief executive James Goodwin says is the highest score to date.

“This result for the GLE is encouraging,” says Goodwin.

“Mercedes has done the right thing by their customers in offering five star safety for this category of vehicle.”

Forming part of the score is the comprehensive list of active safety systems fitted as standard, including autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane keeping assist, blind spot monitoring and emergency lane keep assist.

The G-Class also scored well, however, ANCAP said it needs improvement in the area of occupant chest protection, with “elevated injury readings recorded by the driver and rear passenger in frontal impacts”.

Nevertheless, the G-Wagen’s maximum five-star ANCAP rating still shames the one-star rating of the conceptually similar new Jeep Wrangler and three-star Suzuki Jimny ladder-frame off-roaders.

However, ANCAP says the off-road focussed G-Class Professional is not equipped with the same safety equipment as the G 63 and therefore isn’t awarded the same five-star rating.