MG ZS Earns a Five-Star ANCAP Safety Rating: Perfect for Queensland Families

When you are choosing a new car for your family, safety should always be at the top of the list. The 2026 MG ZS has now made that conversation a great deal easier, having achieved a five-star ANCAP safety rating — the highest possible result — under the demanding 2023-2025 assessment criteria. Rated and published in December 2025 and updated in March 2026, this result applies to all petrol and hybrid MG ZS variants built from 4 December 2025 onwards, and it is available right here at Barton Motor Group, your local MG dealers serving Brisbane and South East Queensland.

For a compact SUV sitting in one of the most competitive segments on the market, a five-star result is a genuine achievement. The MG ZS was tested against pedestrians, cyclists, families with child seats, and the full range of crash scenarios that Australian roads can throw at you. Here is what the numbers mean and why they matter to you.

The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) is the independent body that crash-tests and rates new vehicles sold in Australia and New Zealand. Unlike manufacturer-provided safety claims, ANCAP results are determined through rigorous, standardised testing conducted at accredited facilities, so a five-star rating genuinely means something.

ANCAP assesses four key categories: Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection, Vulnerable Road User Protection, and Safety Assist. The MG ZS performed strongly across all four, returning scores that reflect a vehicle engineered with real-world safety as a priority rather than an afterthought.

The MG ZS (ZS32 series, built from December 2025) achieved the following ANCAP results, assessed under 2023-2025 criteria:

The rating applies to all variants sold in Australia, covering both the 1.5-litre petrol turbo and the 1.5-litre hybrid (HEV) Hybrid+ models, in Vibe, Excite, and Essence trim levels. It expires in December 2031.

Adult occupant protection is assessed through a series of crash scenarios designed to replicate the most common and severe collision types on Australian roads. The MG ZS was put 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, and an oblique pole test at 32 km/h, along with whiplash protection and far-side impact assessments.

The MG ZS performed exceptionally well in the side impact test, where it scored the maximum available points, a result that directly reflects the protection offered to drivers and passengers in the kind of T-bone collision that can happen at any urban intersection. The oblique pole test, which simulates a vehicle running off the road and striking a narrow object like a power pole, also returned a near-perfect result.

In the frontal offset test, protection for the driver and front passenger was largely good across head, neck, and chest regions. The chest and lower legs of both occupants returned adequate scores meaning they are protected, though not to the maximum level. Structures in the dashboard were noted as a potential injury source, which is a common finding across vehicles in this class.

One important highlight: MG ZS vehicles built from 4 December 2025 are now fitted with a centre airbag as standard. This airbag deploys between the driver and front passenger in a side impact to prevent the two occupants from colliding with each other, a technology previously found only on more expensive vehicles. This specification upgrade is precisely what separates the current five-star model from its predecessor, which achieved four stars.

The vehicle also features a rescue sheet for first responders, a multi-collision braking system (which automatically applies the brakes after an initial impact to reduce the risk of a secondary crash), and the MG ZS passed submergence testing which tests if the doors remain operable for the minimum required period if the vehicle enters water.

Child occupant protection looks at how well the vehicle protects children in dedicated child restraints, assessed through dynamic crash testing using six-year-old and ten-year-old dummies, as well as an evaluation of how easily standard Australian child restraints can be fitted.

The MG ZS returned its strongest score in child occupant protection, achieving 84 per cent in this category. In the frontal offset test, both the six-year and ten-year dummies showed good protection across most body regions. In the side impact, the ten-year-old dummy's head received an adequate rating — a common result in this test — with all other regions assessed as good.

For Australian families, the practical highlights are significant. The MG ZS is fitted with ISOFix lower anchorages on both rear outboard seats and top tether anchorages across all rear seating positions. Testing showed that all assessed Australian and New Zealand child restraint types, from rear-facing capsules through to forward-facing harness restraints and boosters up to ten years, could be installed in all rear seating positions without issue. Full points were scored in the restraint installation assessment.

One area to note: the MG ZS does not currently offer a child presence detection (CPD) system — a feature that alerts the driver if a child has been left in the vehicle. This is worth being aware of for parents of very young children.

Vulnerable road user (VRU) protection covers two areas: the physical design of the vehicle's front end (bonnet and windscreen) and how well the car's autonomous emergency braking system detects and reacts to pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists.

The bonnet and windscreen of the MG ZS provided good or adequate protection to pedestrians across most of the bonnet surface. As is common with many vehicles, the area at the base of the windscreen and the A-pillars returned marginal and poor results, these are very stiff structural areas where head impact energy cannot be absorbed as effectively. Pelvis and femur protection was mixed, while lower leg protection was good.

This is where the MG ZS genuinely stands out for Australian conditions. The AEB system operates across a broad range — from 5 km/h to 80 km/h for vulnerable road users — and was assessed in scenarios covering pedestrians walking along and crossing the road, cyclists at various positions and speeds, and motorcyclists in both straight-ahead and overtaking scenarios.

In pedestrian AEB testing, the system returned good performance in forward scenarios, with collisions avoided or significantly mitigated in most tests — including at night. Performance in turning scenarios was noted as mixed, which is a common result across the industry. The system does not react to pedestrians when reversing (no backover AEB), which is an area where no points were scored.

In cyclist testing, the MG ZS achieved adequate overall performance, with collisions avoided at many test speeds including in turning scenarios. The vehicle also provides an alert when a cyclist is approaching from behind, a cyclist dooring warning that notifies the driver before they open the door, which is particularly relevant in urban and inner-city driving.

Motorcyclist AEB performance was rated good, including in overtaking and turning scenarios which is a strong result that reflects the vehicle's ability to detect two-wheeled road users in complex situations. The lane support system (LSS) also returned good performance in its motorcyclist testing.

Safety Assist evaluates the suite of active safety technologies fitted to the vehicle — the systems that help the driver avoid a crash in the first place. This includes autonomous emergency braking for car-to-car scenarios, lane support, speed assistance, seat belt reminders, and driver monitoring.

The MG ZS is fitted with AEB that operates from 5 km/h to 150 km/h in car-to-car scenarios, well beyond typical urban speeds and into highway territory. Testing returned good performance in all standard car-to-car tests, including stationary, slower-moving, and heavily braking vehicles ahead.

Particularly impressive is the AEB Junction and AEB Crossing performance, both rated good. These tests assess whether the vehicle can automatically brake when turning across oncoming traffic or when another vehicle is crossing the path at an intersection, among the most common crash types in suburban Australia. AEB Head-On performance was also good.

The MG ZS is fitted with a lane support system (LSS) covering lane keep assist (LKA) and emergency lane keeping (ELK), operational from 60 to 150 km/h. Both were rated good in testing, including in the critical emergency lane keeping scenarios which assess whether the system can steer the vehicle away from an oncoming car or road edge when the driver is unresponsive.

The MG ZS includes an intelligent speed assistance system (SAS) that reads speed signs via a camera and can automatically adjust the vehicle's speed accordingly. A manual speed limiter and intelligent adaptive cruise control are also fitted.

A driver monitoring system (DMS) detecting drowsiness is fitted as standard, using an indirect detection method. Seat belt reminders with occupancy detection are active for all seating positions.

A key strength of the MG ZS is how much of its safety technology is fitted as standard across all variants, not just reserved for upper trim levels. The following features come standard on all MG ZS models sold in Australia:

• Dual frontal airbags (driver and front passenger)
• Side chest-protecting airbags (front seats)
• Side head-protecting curtain airbags (front and rear)
• Centre airbag (fitted from 4 December 2025 build date)
• Autonomous emergency braking — car-to-car, pedestrian, cyclist, and motorcyclist
• AEB Junction and AEB Crossing (intersection scenarios)
• Lane keep assist (LKA) and emergency lane keeping (ELK)
• Lane departure warning (LDW)
• Forward collision warning (FCW)
• Speed sign recognition and intelligent speed limiter
• Blind spot monitoring (BSM)
• Cyclist dooring detection and alert
• Driver drowsiness monitoring
• Seat belt reminders for all seating positions
• Multi-collision braking system
• Automatic emergency call (eCall)
• ISOFix anchorages (rear outboard seats) and top tether anchorages (all rear positions)
• Rescue sheet for emergency responders

The five-star ANCAP rating applies to all of the following MG ZS variants sold in Australia, built from 4 December 2025 onwards:

• MG ZS Vibe (1.5L petrol)
• MG ZS Excite (1.5L petrol turbo)
• MG ZS Essence (1.5L petrol turbo)
• MG ZS Vibe Hybrid+ (1.5L HEV)
• MG ZS Excite Hybrid+ (1.5L HEV)
• MG ZS Essence Hybrid+ (1.5L HEV)

At Barton Motor Group, we believe that every Queensland family deserves access to accurate, unbiased information about the safety of the vehicles they drive, not just the marketing brochure. The MG ZS's five-star ANCAP result is independently verified, and it represents exceptional value in the small SUV segment for buyers who prioritise the safety of their passengers.

Whether you are interested in the fuel-efficient Hybrid+ models or one of the turbocharged petrol variants, the current MG ZS range at Barton's gives you access to a five-star rated, well-equipped SUV at a price point that makes safety accessible, not a premium.

We invite you to visit Barton Motor Group to see the MG ZS in person, arrange a test drive, and speak with our team about which variant suits your needs.

You can also explore our current MG ZS stock and offers at Bartons.net.au.