New car buyers urged to check safety ratings

New car buyers and fleet purchasers in Australia and New Zealand are being urged to check the safety rating of vehicles before purchasing.

The warning has come from ANCAP, the two countries independent consumer voice on vehicle safety, after it published two zero-star ratings on two brand new models.

The MG 5 sedan and Mahindra Scorpio SUV were both unable to achieve a safety rating any higher than zero stars which ANCAP said was due to a range of limitations – in both physical crash protection and active collision avoidance performance.

“The MG 5 and Mahindra Scorpio were released into the Australasian market for the first time this year, yet it’s clear that their safety offerings are some generations behind what we see with almost every new car on sale today, said ANCAP Chief Executive Officer, Carla Hoorweg.

“This is a stark reminder that not all cars offer the same level of safety – even when they’re brand new models.

“Market competition is healthy and encouraged, however there is also a well-established expectation from Australian and New Zealand private consumers and fleet buyers that new cars entering our market offer the best levels of safety.

“With our independent test results now to hand, we hope to see significant improvements made to these models to have them more closely align with the safety credentials offered by their competitors.”

Full details on the safety performance of the MG 5 can be viewed here.

Full details on the safety performance of the Mahindra Scorpio can be viewed here.