Here in Aotearoa, we love a compact and cheerful hatchback. They’re perfect for the daily commute, a dash to the supermarket, and navigating our increasingly tight city streets. But while we love a bargain, we also want to know our chariot is more tin ‘can-do’ than, well, just a tin can.
The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) has just dropped some fresh safety ratings for two of the biggest names in the small car game, the MG 3 and Suzuki Swift, and it’s a real mixed bag of “good on ya” and “oh, that’s a bit rough”.
The MG 3 – A Step Up, With a Major Stumble
Let’s start with the good news. MG has clearly been putting in the hard yards. After the second-generation MG 3 launched in 2024 with a rather disappointing three-star rating, the brand has made some key updates for models on sale from May 2025. These newer models, destined for Kiwi, Aussie, and European roads, now feature a centre airbag between the front seats, a driver monitoring system, and improved collision avoidance smarts.
This effort has successfully bumped the wee MG 3 up from three stars to a much more respectable four-star ANCAP rating, based on the current 2023-2025 testing criteria. Sweet as!
…Or is it?
Hold Your Horses – The Wobbly Chair Incident
Here’s where things get a bit sketchy. During a crucial frontal offset crash test (which simulates a 50km/h head-on collision) the driver’s seat adjuster on the updated MG 3 failed. It couldn’t handle the impact and caused the seat to twist.
This failure had serious consequences for the crash test dummy. The movement increased the force on the driver’s right leg, leading to a protection rating of “Poor.” Furthermore, the driver dummy’s head was observed to “bottom out” the airbag, squashing it against the steering wheel, resulting in an “Adequate” score for head protection.
Frankly, that’s not something you want to see in any car, let alone a brand-new one. ANCAP Chief Executive, Carla Hoorweg, noted the issue, stating, “This uplift from three stars to four stars is a step in the right direction, yet the seat latch failure is not something we expect to see, and is cause for caution”. ANCAP expects MG to not only fix the fault in future production but also “retrospectively fix affected vehicles already in the market”.
Suzuki’s Three-Star Redemption Arc
Meanwhile, over in the Suzuki camp, it’s a story of a welcome comeback. When the latest Suzuki Swift first landed here last year, it was met with a bit of a shemozzle, scoring a dismal one-star ANCAP rating. The reason? We were getting a lower-spec version than our European counterparts.
Thankfully, Suzuki has seen the light. From August 2025, Swift models supplied to New Zealand and Australia will align with the superior European safety specification. This upgrade has been enough to lift its ANCAP safety rating to a more solid three stars. It’s a classic case of the squeaky wheel getting the grease, with consumer advocacy paying off.
Final Thoughts for Kiwi Buyers
So, what does this all mean if you’re wandering the car yards? Both Suzuki and MG have, as Ms. Hoorweg puts it, “taken steps in the right direction”. However, the details matter immensely.
The MG 3 now presents a tricky choice. A four-star rating looks great on paper, but a car with a fundamental component failure in a common crash scenario carries a massive asterisk. It highlights a potential gap between safety-feature box-ticking and genuine build quality.
The Suzuki Swift, on the other hand, has clawed its way back from the naughty corner to become a more reasonable proposition in the three-star club.
Ultimately, ANCAP’s advice rings true: “Prospective buyers should consider the safety needs of their household, and use the ratings and information available on the ANCAP website to help inform their purchasing decisions”. Before you sign on the dotted line, do your homework. A star rating tells part of the story, but the devil is always in the details.
