MG Motor Australia CEO Peter Ciao has committed to full five-star ANCAP safety ratings for all future models in response to criticism over a recent ‘critical safety failure’ in European NCAP testing.
The Chinese automaker has faced backlash after Euro NCAP testing of the MG 3 light hatchback, which exposed a driver’s seat latching mechanism failure that caused the driver’s seat to twist partway through a frontal offset impact.
As a result, the MG 3 received a ‘poor’ score for protection of the driver’s legs, while the driver dummy’s head was also found to “bottom out” the airbag against the steering wheel.
It’s an issue Euro NCAP says it hasn’t seen in the assessment of hundreds of passenger vehicles it has conducted since 1997.
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Nevertheless, Euro NCAP still awarded the MG 3 a four-star overall safety rating, which has also been applied by local safety authority ANCAP.
Addressing questions over the safety of MG vehicles, Mr Ciao promised to elevate standards for future models.
“You can never go back, my job is to focus on the future,” Mr Ciao said at the launch of the U9 ute.
“For the future, no compromise. MG is five-star, that’s it.”
The seat latching failure is the latest in a series of safety issues that have afflicted MG models in Australia, most of which it has responded to.
The MG 5 sedan was awarded a zero-star ANCAP safety rating in 2023, with an adult occupant protection score of 37 per cent, child occupant protection score of 58 per cent, vulnerable road user protection score of 42 per cent, and a safety assist score of 13 per cent.
During testing, the MG 5 recorded Poor ratings for the chest and legs of the driver in the frontal offset test, as well as Poor ratings for the chest and legs of the rear passenger in the full-width frontal test.
Penalties were also applied for chest deflection and seatbelt loading exceeding injury limits, as well as hazards behind the dashboard structure.
MG subsequently updated the MG 5 and it was re-tested by ANCAP this year, receiving a superior three-star rating.
Late last year, MG announced a software update for the ZS Hybrid+ to address a concerning power delivery issue that would arise when the SUV’s hybrid battery neared depletion.
In such situations, power delivery could be dramatically reduced – leaving the car without the necessary power to overtake safely or comfortably climb a steep hill.
MG Motor Australia still has not confirmed an update for the MG 3 Hybrid+ which uses the same powertrain and which has suffered from the same issues.
Following our discussion with Mr Ciao, MG announced a five-star ANCAP rating for its new U9 ute. However, the rating is based on testing of the Maxus eTerron 9 – an electric ute built on the same platform as the turbo-diesel MG.
“We wanted a dual-cab ute product that is designed and engineered for all genres of customers and the needs of ute buyers locally,” said MG Motor Australia director Kevin Gannon.
“We’re proud to announce the MG U9 meets ANCAP five-star safety rating standards, ensuring excellent protection for drivers, passengers and pedestrians.
“Our aim is to achieve a five-star safety rating for all new MG models introduced to the market.”
MORE: MG 3 ‘critical safety failure’ exposes weakness in safety testing
