- Both the Suzuki Swift and the MG3 have been awarded an additional star in ANCAP testing.
The Swift initially only scored a single star in crash testing, which has now risen to 3.
The MG3 has gone from 3 stars to 4 thanks to the addition on a centre airbag and other improvements.
ANCAP caused a bit of a stir when it released the local rating for the 4th generation Suzuki Swift late last year, with the small hatch only managing to pick up a single star in local crash testing.
The Swift originally scored three stars in Euro NCAP testing, but Suzuki Australia was confident that vehicles sold in this part of the world would score a better result when tested locally. However, that was not to be as, according to the Australian arm of the New Car Assessment Programme, the new Swift carried a lower level of safety specification than the European version, resulting in a one-star ANCAP safety rating.
However, that has since changed, as from August 2025, Suzuki Swift vehicles supplied locally now align with those offered in Europe, lifting its ANCAP safety rating to three stars.
At the time of original testing, ANCAP rated the Swift poorly in crash protection performance, with the small hatch recording 47 percent for Adult Occupant Protection and 59 percent for Child Occupant Protection, while it also only scored 54 percent in Safety Assist technology.
However, local-specification Swifts built from August 2025 and sold from September 2025 onwards now have additional front-end reinforcement to align it with the European-specification model, as well as the addition of a new driver monitoring system, although that has only added an additional 0.25 extra points to the Swift's overall haul.
This time around the Swift pulled in 67 percent for Adult Occupant Protection, 65 percent for Child Occupant Protection and 55 percent for Safety Assist. Vulnerable Road User Protection remains unchanged at 76 percent.
These numbers now line up with its Euro NCAP score, with the exception of the Safety Assist category, in which the Swift scores 62 percent in Europe due to the European model offering intelligent speed limit assist.
Another small hatch that has improved its local safety rating is the MG3 that has increased its score to four stars from the three it picked up in initial testing. However, this one comes with a caveat.
The second-generation MG3 originally launched here in 2024 with what ANCAP described as "limitations in driver, front passenger and rear passenger protection, and collision avoidance performance."
Like the Swift, a production change now sees vehicles now sold in Australia, New Zealand and Europe add a centre airbag positioned between the two front row occupants, a driver monitoring system, and improved collision avoidance capability, resulting in improved scores for Adult Occupant Protection, Vulnerable Road User Protection, and Safety Assist for the MG3, adding the extra star to its overall rating.
However, ANCAP said that during the frontal offset crash test - which simulates a head-on crash with another vehicle each travelling at 50km/h - the right-side adjuster of the driver’s seat failed, causing it to twist during the crash impact, increasing the loads on the driver dummy’s right leg. As a result of this protection of that part of the body was rated as Poor.
"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," said ANCAP Chief Executive, Carla Hoorweg.
Current ANCAP protocols don't apply penalties for this specific failure beyond the effect on dummy performance. However, the organisation says it will - along with its sister organisation, Euro NCAP - review this aspect of its rating protocols, particularly in situations where manufacturers opt not to rectify or improve failed safety elements.
"The failure of the seat adjuster increased the risk of injury to the driver. Key vehicle components like this should be able to withstand this typical urban-environment crash. We expect MG to make a running change to rectify the fault, and move to retrospectively fix affected vehicles already in the market," said Hoorweg.
"ANCAP’s role as consumer advocate is to hold manufacturers to account, and where safety deficiencies are seen, to push for improvements that help prevent deaths and reduce serious injuries.
"Suzuki and MG have taken steps in the right direction."
