MG MG5 News

A new hope emerges for once-favourite car body styles in Australia.

MG5 now no longer the affordable option it once was.

MG Australia has finally rolled out the safety update to its MG5 small sedan following it receiving a zero-star ANCAP safety rating back in 2023.The local independent safety authority has now tested this updated model, which went into production from November 2024 and awarded it a three-star rating.It’s worth noting that MG5 examples built before November 2024 still have a zero-star rating.This safety update has brought standard features like seatbelt pre-tensioners and load limiters for the front and rear outboard seats, upgraded autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and lane-keep assist, as well as seatbelt reminders for all seats for all models across the line-up.The pre-update car had a less sophisticated AEB system, and the entry-level MG5 Vibe only featured a seatbelt warning on front seats.Frontal offset and full-width crash tests were conducted to assess the effectiveness of the seat and load limiters, as well as additional whiplash and pedestrian impact tests.ANCAP noted it saw “enhanced crash performance” in both the frontal offset and full-width tests thanks to the improved restraint systems. Reduced injury risk was noticed for the driver and front passenger, as well as the rear occupants.The “most significant area of improvement” was noted with the MG5’s active safety capability, mainly due to the enhanced AEB system.While there is a new lane-keep assist system fitted, ANCAP noted its performance for emergency lane-keep assist was Marginal.Although the MG5 has picked up a wide range of new safety features with this update, it still lacks a number of commonplace features including blind-spot monitoring and a centre airbag, among others.“We commend MG for taking the opportunity to elevate the safety performance of the MG5. This upgrade demonstrates important progress,” said ANCAP Chief Executive Officer Carla Hoorweg.“While this rating is a step up, it’s important that consumers and fleet operators recognise there are still safety limitations with this model, and that there are other vehicles on the market that offer more robust safety performance.”At this stage MG hasn’t communicated pricing for the updated MG5 sedan line-up.Thanks to an end of financial year deal, it currently starts at $24,990 drive-away for the MG5 Vibe, and extends to $29,990 drive-away for the MG5 Essence.

A fresh round of real world tests from the Australian Automobile Association (AAA) has detected several cars that use a lot more fuel than claimed.

MG won't launch premium or electric sub-brands as it commits to one marque in Australia

Despite offering nearly its entire range as electric or hybrids, MG will keep combustion versions of its cars around.

The MG5 has received a facelift in China, five years after the second-generation model first debuted for the Chinese automaker.

193,433. That's how many Chinese-built vehicles were sold in Australia in 2023, with that number soaring from 122,845 in 2022, 76,262 in 2021, and just 30,696.

Two key new models launched earlier this year have been slapped with zero-star ratings after falling short in local crash testing. The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) announced the scores for the MG5 small sedan and the Mahindra Scorpio off-road SUV following local testing of both models.

MG has good news for Australian new car buyers, but bad news for its market rivals - it won’t be quitting on offering affordable cars anytime soon.