The updated MG 5 small car has received a new three-star ANCAP safety rating, thanks to important safety upgrades made to vehicles built from November 2024.
The MG 5 first arrived in Australia in August 2023 but was heavily criticised for its poor safety features. Early models built before October 2024 received a zero-star safety rating. Those versions were missing key items like seatbelt pre-tensioners, lane support systems, and strong autonomous emergency braking.
Now, MG has made a number of improvements. The updated MG 5 includes seatbelt pre-tensioners for all outer seats, better crash protection, and more active safety features. These include emergency braking and lane support systems as standard equipment.
Safer Design
ANCAP carried out fresh crash and safety tests on the upgraded MG 5. These included frontal offset and full-width crash tests to see how well the new seatbelt systems protect people inside. Extra tests looked at whiplash protection and how the car reacts to pedestrians.
Thanks to these improvements, the MG 5 scored:
- 62 per cent for Adult Occupant Protection
- 68 per cent for Child Occupant Protection
- 65 per cent for Vulnerable Road User Protection
- 59 per cent for Safety Assist
These are major gains compared to the older version. For example, adult protection jumped from 37 per cent to 62 per cent, and safety assist improved from just 13 per cent to 59 per cent.
Biggest Gains in Active Safety but Safety Gaps Remain
The biggest improvements came from new active safety technology. The MG 5 now includes enhanced automatic emergency braking. It works in more situations, such as when detecting other cars, pedestrians, cyclists, and even motorcycles.
A lane support system is now also fitted. This includes lane keep assist and emergency lane keeping. However, the emergency lane keeping system was only rated as “Marginal”.
While the MG 5 is much safer than before, it still lacks some important features. Most notably, it does not have a centre airbag. This type of airbag can help prevent injuries when two people move toward each other in a side crash.
“MG has taken an important step to improve the safety of the MG 5,” said ANCAP Chief Executive Officer, Carla Hoorweg.
“This upgrade shows real progress, but it’s still important for buyers to understand there are safer choices available.”
This three-star safety rating applies only to MG 5 vehicles built from November 2024 and on sale from June 2025. Older models that were built between March 2023 and September 2024 still carry a zero-star safety rating.
The full safety report for the MG5 can be found here.
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