Zero-star safety rating for two new cars
New-car buyers are being warned to check ANCAP safety ratings after an MG and Mahindra were given zero stars by the independent safety body.
The MG 5 sedan and Mahindra Scorpio SUV both received zero stars after local testing found manufacturers hadn’t included modern safety features in the new vehicles.
Mahindra Scorpio
The Mahindra Scorpio is an Indian-manufactured, compact SUV that hit the Australian market in 2023. ANCAP gave the Scorpio a zero-star rating due to a lack of features including autonomous emergency braking, lane support system, speed-limit information and driver-monitoring system.
The Scorpio’s rating was also severely impacted by a lack of safety features for children in the second and third row of seats, including no seatbelt reminders.
As a result, the Scorpio scored zero per cent in the Safety Assist category.
The Scorpio is offered as a six-seat vehicle in Australia. In New Zealand however, a seven-seat variant is sold. This variant provides a lap-only seatbelt in the centre seating position – something that hasn’t been commonplace in new vehicles for more than a decade.
MG 5
When testing the Chinese-made MG 5 sedan, ANCAP experts noted poor results for the driver’s chest and leg protection when conducting a frontal offset crash test where only the vehicle’s front-end runs into a moveable barrier.
The same issues were found for the rear passenger when conducting the full-width front test.
The MG 5 received penalties for exceeding injury limits as well as hazards behind the dashboard.
Other concerns included the absence of front and rear seatbelt pre-tensioners and load limiters in the base MG 5 Vibe variant. You’ve probably felt the pre-tensioner when moving too fast in your seatbelt and it tightens and suddenly stops. In a crash this restrains occupants quickly and reduces the amount you’re thrown forward.
Seatbelt load limiters control the tension in the seatbelt to help protect the car occupants from seatbelt-inflicted injuries.
The MG 5 doesn’t have any form of lane support or blind-spot monitoring, and the autonomous emergency braking performance was rated poor by ANCAP.
As a result, the MG 5 received a score of 13 per cent in Safety Assist category.
The car maker is making changes to improve the safety of the MG 5, deploying a range of fixes to hardware and software as part of a $4 million upgrade to the sedan.
A final word
The MG 5 and Mahindra Scorpio aren’t the first cars to receive an ANCAP Safety rating of zero stars. In 2021, the Mitsubishi Express van – a rebadged version of the Renault Trafic – received a zero rating.
Other cars to receive low scores include the 2007 Mitsubishi Express, 2008 Proton Jumbuck ute and 2018 Jeep Wrangler. Each of these vehicles were given a one-star ANCAP Safety Rating.
Both the MG 5 and Mahindra Scorpio were certified and approved for sale in Australia, however ANCAP’s testing is more extensive.
You can find out more about ANCAP’s rating system on their website.
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