MG HS Five-Star ANCAP Safety Rating: What Brisbane Buyers Need to Know

The MG HS achieves a five-star ANCAP safety rating (the highest possible result) under the demanding 2023-2025 assessment criteria. Introduced to Australia and New Zealand in August 2024, the MG HS is a medium SUV available in petrol, Hybrid+ (HEV), and Super Hybrid (PHEV) variants. The rating was published in November 2024 and updated in January 2026, and applies to all petrol, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid variants built from May 2024 onwards.

With an Adult Occupant Protection score of 90 per cent, the MG HS posts the highest adult occupant result of any MG model independently rated by ANCAP in Australia. For Queensland families considering a mid-size SUV across a broad range of powertrains, that headline result is backed up by genuinely impressive detail across most categories, along with a few areas worth understanding before purchase.

The full MG HS range is available at Barton's Motor Group, your local MG dealer serving Brisbane and South East Queensland.

The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) independently crash-tests and rates new vehicles sold in Australia and New Zealand at accredited facilities. A five-star rating is the highest result achievable and is completely separate from manufacturer safety claims.

ANCAP assesses four key categories: Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection, Vulnerable Road User Protection, and Safety Assist. The MG HS returned its strongest results in adult and child occupant protection, with Safety Assist representing the area of most variability.

The MG HS (AS33 series, built from May 2024) achieved the following results under 2023-2025 criteria:

The rating applies to all seven variants sold in Australia and New Zealand, built from May 2024 onwards. It expires in December 2031.

To confirm integrity of the battery and safety of high-voltage electrical systems in hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants, ANCAP conducted additional frontal offset and oblique pole tests on those variants. All petrol, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid variants are covered by the five-star rating.

What Was Tested

The MG HS was assessed through a frontal offset test at 50 km/h, a full-width frontal test at 50 km/h, a side impact at 60 km/h, an oblique pole test at 32 km/h, far-side impact tests, and whiplash protection assessments.

What the Results Show

Adult occupant protection is the MG HS's strongest category at 90 per cent, and the highest adult occupant score of any MG model currently rated by ANCAP in Australia. The passenger compartment remained stable in the frontal offset test. Both the driver and front passenger received adequate protection for the chest and lower legs, with good protection across all other body regions and no deductions applied. The vehicle-to-vehicle compatibility penalty was just 0.98 points, among the lower penalties in this test, indicating the MG HS presents a reduced risk to occupants of an oncoming vehicle compared to many competitors.

In the full-width frontal test, driver protection was adequate for the chest and good across all other critical body areas. For the rear passenger, neck protection was adequate and chest protection was marginal, with good protection of all other body areas.

The side impact and oblique pole results were both exceptional: the MG HS scored the maximum available points in both tests, with good protection across all critical body regions in each. This is a standout result for a medium SUV in a class where side impact protection can vary considerably.

The whiplash protection score was the full 4.00 out of 4.00 and the far-side impact score was the full 4.00 out of 4.00, with the centre airbag providing good head protection for both front seat occupants and adequate prevention of occupant excursion in both test scenarios.

The rescue and extrication score was 2.17 out of 4. The rescue sheet is available and door opening scored no penalty. The multi-collision braking system scored 1.00 point. However, no eCall system is fitted to the MG HS and only a 0.67 default point was awarded in that element. Vehicle submergence testing confirmed the doors remain operational for the minimum required period, though window opening functionality was not demonstrated, which limited the submergence score.

What Was Tested

Child occupant protection is assessed through dynamic crash testing using six-year-old and ten-year-old child dummies in frontal offset and side impact scenarios, as well as a practical assessment of how standard Australian child restraints can be installed.

What the Results Show

The MG HS returned an outstanding dynamic crash test result for child occupant protection. In both the frontal offset and side impact tests, protection of both child dummies was good across all critical body regions, and the MG HS scored the maximum 16.00 out of 16 in the frontal offset test and the maximum 8.00 out of 8 in the side impact test. A perfect dynamic crash test result across both tests is a genuinely impressive outcome for a family SUV.

The MG HS is fitted with ISOFix lower anchorages on both rear outboard seats and top tether anchorages across all rear seating positions. Most assessed Australian and New Zealand child restraint types can be installed in most rear seating positions. One practical note: one of the assessed booster seats could not be correctly installed in the centre rear position. Families who regularly use a booster in the middle seat should use the outboard positions or discuss the options with our team.

No child presence detection (CPD) system is available on the MG HS.

What Was Tested

Vulnerable road user (VRU) protection covers the physical construction of the vehicle's bonnet and windscreen and the performance of the AEB system in detecting and reacting to pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists.

Physical Impact Results

The MG HS bonnet and windscreen provided good or adequate head protection to pedestrians over most of its surface, with weak and poor results recorded at the sides and rear of the bonnet and on the stiff windscreen pillars. This is a common limitation at these structural zones across vehicles in this class. Femur and lower leg protection were both rated good, with maximum points awarded for both. Pelvis protection was mixed, with areas of both good and poor performance, contributing to a partial score in that category.

Autonomous Emergency Braking: Pedestrians, Cyclists, and Motorcyclists

The VRU AEB system operates from 8 km/h to 85 km/h and was assessed across a comprehensive range of real-world scenarios.

Forward pedestrian AEB performance was rated good, with collisions avoided or mitigated in most tests including turning scenarios, both day and night. In reverse (AEB Backover), performance was rated marginal, providing some mitigation but not reliably across all scenarios. This is worth noting for driveways and car parks.

Cyclist AEB performance was rated good, with collisions avoided or mitigated at most test speeds including turning scenarios. The MG HS provides both information and a warning when a cyclist is approaching from behind, a full cyclist dooring alert covering the driver door.

Motorcyclist AEB in forward scenarios was rated good, including in turning and overtaking scenarios, earning the full 6.00 out of 6 available points. The lane support system in car-to-motorcyclist emergency lane keeping scenarios also earned the full 3.00 out of 3 points, a maximum result in an area where many vehicles fall short.

What Was Tested

Safety Assist evaluates the active safety technology suite: AEB for car-to-car scenarios, lane support, speed assistance, seat belt reminders, and driver monitoring.

Car-to-Car AEB: Good Performance Across the Board

The MG HS AEB system operates from 8 km/h to 150 km/h, covering urban speeds through to motorway driving. Testing returned good performance across all standard car-to-car tests, including stationary, slower-moving, lightly braking, and heavily braking vehicles ahead. AEB Junction and AEB Crossing performance were both good. AEB Head-On performance was also good, achieving the full 1.00 point.

Lane Support System

The lane support system operates from 60 to 130 km/h, covering lane keep assist (LKA) and emergency lane keeping (ELK). Lane keep assist was rated good. Emergency lane keeping was rated adequate in car-to-car scenarios, meaning the system provides meaningful but not maximum intervention in the most critical lane departure situations. Emergency lane keeping in car-to-motorcyclist scenarios earned the full 3.00 out of 3 points.

Speed Assistance and Driver Monitoring

The MG HS includes a speed assistance system with camera-based speed sign recognition, a manual speed limiter, and an intelligent speed limiter as standard. Intelligent adaptive cruise control (iACC) is not available on the MG HS.

The most significant area of underperformance in Safety Assist is the driver monitoring result. A direct driver monitoring system (DMS) is fitted as standard and can detect driver drowsiness and distraction, issuing a warning to the driver. However, the system did not meet all ANCAP requirements and scored zero points in the driver monitoring assessment. This is the primary reason the Safety Assist score sits at 74 per cent. The feature is present in the vehicle but its performance did not reach the level required by the assessment protocol.

Seat belt reminders with occupancy detection for all seating positions scored the full 1.00 out of 1.

The following safety features are standard across all MG HS variants sold in Australia and New Zealand:

• Dual frontal airbags (driver and front passenger)
• Side chest-protecting airbags (front and second-row seats)
• Side head-protecting curtain airbags (front and second-row seats)
• Centre airbag
• Knee airbags (driver and front passenger)
• Autonomous emergency braking: car-to-car (8-150 km/h), pedestrian forward and reverse, cyclist, and motorcyclist
• AEB Junction (car, pedestrian, cyclist, and motorcyclist) and AEB Crossing
• AEB Head-On
• Lane keep assist (LKA) and emergency lane keeping (ELK)
• Lane departure warning (LDW)
• Forward collision warning (FCW)
• Blind spot monitoring (BSM)
• Speed sign recognition, manual speed limiter, and intelligent speed limiter
• Direct driver monitoring system (distraction and fatigue warning)
• Cyclist dooring information and warning alert
• Seat belt reminders with occupancy detection (all seating positions)
• Multi-collision braking system
• ISOFix anchorages (rear outboard seats) and top tether anchorages (all rear positions)
• Rescue sheet for emergency responders

The MG HS Safety Assist score of 74 per cent deserves specific context for buyers. The car-to-car AEB, AEB Junction, AEB Crossing, and AEB Head-On results are all good. The motorcyclist LSS result is a perfect score. Lane keep assist is good. The lower overall score is primarily a result of two factors: the driver monitoring system not meeting ANCAP's scoring requirements (0.00 out of 2 in that element), and the ELK assessment returning adequate rather than good in car-to-car scenarios. Neither of these reflects a vehicle that lacks active safety equipment, as both the LKA and DMS are fitted and operational. Buyers should understand the distinction between a system being present and a system meeting the specific thresholds required by the ANCAP scoring protocol.

At Barton's Motor Group, we believe Queensland buyers deserve honest, complete information about the safety of every vehicle they consider. The MG HS's five-star ANCAP result is independently verified, and its adult occupant protection score of 90 per cent and perfect dynamic child occupant crash test results place it among the strongest performers in the medium SUV segment at its price point.

Whether you are considering the petrol Vibe, Excite, or Essence, the Hybrid+ efficiency variants, or the Super Hybrid plug-in, the full MG HS range is available at Bartons.net.au. Our team can walk you through the safety specification in detail and help you find the right variant for your family.

Visit Barton's Motor Group to arrange a test drive or browse current MG HS stock at Bartons.net.au.