MG3 crash test: How the low-cost hybrid from China performs

Is the new MG3 safe? To find out, it was subjected to a crash test

Photo by: MG

By: Pablo Gutiérrez

Nov 10, 2024 at 2:31am ET

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The new MG3 is a small Chinese car characterised by an affordable price and a powerful hybrid engine with 194 PS. A non-hybrid petrol version is also expected in 2025, which will further reduce prices. Currently, the smallest MG starts at £18,495.

With these characteristics, it is a competitor for established small cars such as the VW Polo, the Renault Clio, the Toyota Yaris or the Dacia Sandero.

Gallery: MG3 2025, crash test

Source: MG

At this point, the crucial question arises: does the low price of the MG affect the safety of the occupants? To answer this question, Motor1.com brings you the crash test results from ANCAP (Australia's equivalent to Euro NCAP).

In the asymmetric frontal crash, the cabin of the new MG3 remained stable, but the dashboard structures showed a potential risk of injury to the legs (but rather marginal, as well as to the driver's upper body).

The full frontal crash showed adequate protection of the driver's chest, but the rear occupant belt was not entirely effective. It allowed excessive movement and ANCAP rated the head and upper body as marginal. The rest of the occupant protection was rated good/sufficient.

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The lateral test produced a perfect result, but the impact against a pole was a cause for concern. Here, the force on the shoulder exceeded the permissible limit, while the torso area was rated poor. After this test, ANCAP awarded 72% for the safety of adult occupants.

A 10-year-old dummy achieved adequate protection in the head area (slightly worse in the chest and neck area), while the 6-year-old dummy achieved a marginal result in the head and neck area. In side impact, the oldest dummy achieved a poor score for the chest and a good score for the rest of the body.

Child occupants achieved 74% protection, followed by 76% for pedestrians and 58% for driver assistants. Overall, the new MG3 achieved three stars in the ANCAP crash test, although the manufacturer could still improve its result.