Surprising strength
The British-engineered, Chinese-made MG GS medium SUV has surprised Australian safety engineers with a better-than-expected offset crash test performance under the independent Australasian New Car Assessment Program, ANCAP.
Although the GS ended up with four stars out of the possible five due to some missing safety technologies such as audible rear seatbelt reminders, the basic structure exhibited surprising crash strength for a Chinese vehicle.
ANCAP chief executive James Goodwin said the GS was a good car structurally, offering sound levels of occupant protection, however, its safety specification was lacking.
“Consumers have come to expect a higher standard of safety features and unfortunately it falls short of the top safety rating,” he said.
Mr Goodwin said his organisation was working with MG to see if a specification upgrade could be made to lift the vehicle over the five-star mark.
Photographs of the GS offset crash test at Sydney’s Crashlab test centre show no visible de- formation of the front A-pillar, doors or sills, while the windscreen appears to be intact.
It is a far cry from early Chinese vehicles that crumpled alarmingly under similar tests.
In recent times, however, vehicles from the world’s biggest motor market have made healthy strides, with Haval’s H9 large SUV also recording four stars.
MG Australia said its goal was to have all of its future vehicles engineered to five-star ANCAP standards, but because the GS was well into its life-cycle in China and other markets such as the Middle East, it was difficult to have it retro-engineered for the small volumes of vehicles expected initially in Australia.
Originally, the GS was to have been launched in Australia in the third quarter of 2016, but was delayed until March this year while the company prepared it for market.
MG’S other current offering in Australia, the MG6, was also awarded four stars by ANCAP.
The MG3 light hatchback has yet to be tested, but because it is older than the GS, it might struggle to match the four-star level of its siblings.