The MG electric SUV, known as the ZS EV, has been awarded a five-star safety rating by vehicle safety organisation ANCAP (Australasian New Car Assessment Program), higher than its petrol-fuelled stablemate which has a four-star rating.
The ANCAP safety rating is based on the 2019 results from fellow European safety body Euro NCAP as the vehicle is yet to be tested locally.
The MG ZS EV showed outstanding top results for side-impact for both adults and child occupants, with a 90% overall score for adults and 84% for children.
But a slew of safety assist features not available on the petrol variant, which was last rated from 2017, also brought the electric ZS EV over the line.
MG attributes the results – which outdid the locally tested petrol MG ZS on a number of scores – to an “extensive list of driver safety equipment as standard.”
These include adaptive cruise control, front collision warning, emergency braking, speed assist, seat belt reminders, and lane assist systems to bring the MG ZS EV’s safety assist score to 71%.
ANCAP did, however, criticise the ZS EV’s lane-keep assist function, saying it “does not intervene in more critical emergency
lane keeping (ELK) scenarios”.
In terms of pedestrian protection, there was little difference in the electric versus petrol version (both share the same body), but the electric rated a low 64% due to a low score on automatic emergency braking for pedestrians and cyclists.
The $43,990 drive-away price means MG ZS EV is the most affordable electric vehicle on the Australian market, and was introduced locally in November 2020.
With a 44.5kWh battery offering a driving range of 263km (based on the European WLTP cycle), the MG ZS EV has a 105kW motor sitting on the front axle that delivers up to 353Nm torque.
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.