- Top star rating for MG4 Urban, BYD Seal 6 and Tesla Model Y L.
- Seal achieves highest Adult Occupant Protection Score of the trio.
- ANCAP cautions care with installing child seats in 3-row Model Y.
The Australasian New Car Assessement Program (ANCAP) has awarded three new battery electric vehicles (BEVs) 5-star crash-test-safety ratings.
As predicted by MG New Zealand following the local launch of the MG4 Urban, the city car has replicated its Euro NCAP star rating.
ANCAP said the MG achieved "solid results across all pillars. Crash protection performance was strong, with good protection across key body regions in both frontal and side impact tests. Autonomous emergency braking performed well in forward pedestrian and cyclist scenarios."
However, the BYD Seal 6 was the leading performer in this round, earning the highest Adult Occupant Protection score at 92%. The plug-in hybrid "earned strong marks across all four pillars of assessment. In crash tests, protection was good across nearly all critical body regions for both driver and passengers."
While the sedan, which is not available in NZ, was tested, the rating applies to all variants.
The 6-seat, 3-row Tesla Model Y L was also awarded five stars, carrying through strong results in Safety Assist and Adult Occupant Protection.
The rating is based on testing of the related five-seat Model Y, with "additional testing and assessments undertaken to make sure results were applicable to the longer-wheelbase variant".
Difficulties were identified with child restraint installation in 2nd-row seating positions for the upsized model, where many restraints could not be correctly installed due to limitations with top tether routing.
In the third row, rearward-facing and forward-facing convertible child restraints could not be easily installed using the Isofix anchorages. As a result, ANCAP says: "care should be taken when selecting and installing child restraints in these positions".
“The results highlight clear strengths across these models," says Carla Hoorweg, chief executive officer of ANCAP Safety. "The BYD Seal 6 leads the group on Adult Occupant Protection, the Tesla Model Y L tops it on Safety Assist, and the MG4 EV Urban holds its own against both as a small electric car.”
ANCAP also re-evaluated the Skoda Octavia following changes to the model last year. It retains its 5-star rating.