Australia’s cheapest electric vehicle has earned a five-star safety rating from ANCAP.
The 2021 MG ZS EV has been awarded five stars based on Euro NCAP testing despite its donor car, the ZS, having only a four-star rating.
The electric SUV received an adult occupant protection score of 90 per cent, child occupant protection score of 84 per cent, vulnerable road user protection of 64 per cent and safety assist score of 71 per cent.
Protection for the driver’s chest was assessed as Adequate in both the frontal offset and full-width frontal tests, though other body regions were given a Good rating for both front-seat occupants.
Rear passenger chest protection was given a Weak rating in the full-width frontal test, while a Weak rating was also given to chest protection for the driver in the side-impact test.
The autonomous emergency braking system was given high marks except for its pedestrian and cyclist detection, which were assessed as Marginal.
The MG ZS EV has a range of active safety and driver assist features not available in the regular ZS, though they can be found on the ZST.
Marketed as MG Pilot, this suite of features includes adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist and rear cross-traffic alert.
Marketed as MG Pilot, this suite of features includes adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist and rear cross-traffic alert.
The ZS EV’s five-star rating puts it in good stead with key rivals like the Nissan Leaf and Hyundai Ioniq, both of which have five-star ANCAP ratings albeit with older date stamps (2018 and 2016).
The MG undercuts both rivals, with its $43,990 drive-away price making it the cheapest electric vehicle in Australia.
MG ZS EV and Nissan Leaf
MG has said it’s seeking to fast-track EV adoption by lowering the cost of entry for consumers.
The Nissan Leaf starts at $49,990 before on-roads, while the Ioniq Electric starts at $48,970 before on-roads.
