MG3 returns three-star safety rating

This popular hatchback fell short of safety benchmarks despite significant upgrades and a $10,000 price increase.

Australia’s best selling compact car has fallen short of safety benchmarks, returning a three-star crash rating.

The new MG 3 hatchback returned a three-star score despite a significant list of new features that pushed its price up by about $10,000 compared to last year’s model.

The MG3 received a three-star ANCAP safety rating.

New safety gear including forward collision warning, auto emergency braking, lane keeping assistance and blind spot detection tech was intended to make the car one of the safest picks in its class.

But the omission of features such as reverse auto braking and a front centre airbag placed between the driver and passenger contributed to a disappointing score for the compact hatch.

The MG3 hatchback received a three-star ANCAP safety rating. Picture: Supplied

The car was rated as having marginal protection for the chest and legs of a driver following a frontal crash, and poor protection of the chest area in a side-on collision with a pole.

The MG3 also lacks the ability to detect the potential for a collision involving vehicles travelling head-on or pulling out of side streets, which limited its maximum potential score.

The three-star rating might not worry buyers on a budget who can rationalise a purchase based on the bottom line.

The MG3 hatchback received a three-star ANCAP safety rating. Picture: Supplied

But it will make the car hard to justify for corporate fleets that require maximum safety scores, as well as services such as Uber that require all new models to have a five-star rating.

ANCAP chief executive Carla Hoorweg said “this rating for the MG 3 is important as its predecessor offered limited safety”.

“The MG 3’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,” she said.

The MG3 hatchback received a three-star ANCAP safety rating. Picture: Supplied

“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protection and restraints, but we’ve definitely seen some green shoots with this vehicle in comparison to the model it superseded and our other most-recently rated MG – the zero-star MG 5.”

Compact car customers who want a fresh five-star safety rating do not have many options.

Minimum requirements for a maximum score get tougher every year, so the five-star rating of Toyota’s Yaris in 2020 does not necessarily translate to maximum points in 2024.

The best pick today might be Volkswagen’s Polo, which received a five-star rating in 2022.

But the Polo, which starts from $31,990 drive-away, is significantly more expensive than the MG 3 that starts from about $27,500 drive-away.

Originally published as MG3 returns three-star safety rating