2026 MG ZS scores five-star ANCAP safety rating

The recently launched MG ZS has scored full marks in the latest round of ANCAP safety testing.

The MG ZS has been awarded a five-star ANCAP safety rating after the brand updated its compact SUV with more airbags.

The MG ZS was first introduced in New Zealand and Australia in November 2024. In late 2025, MG updated the model’s safety specifications, adding dual frontal, side chest-protecting and side head-protecting airbags as standard. New for 2026 is a centre airbag, which provides added protection for front-seat occupants in a side-impact crash.

Autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist, lane departure warning, emergency lane keeping, and an advanced speed assistance system with traffic sign recognition are also standard equipment.

Read more: 2026 MG ZS review

The new five-star ANCAP safety rating applies to turbo-petrol and hybrid MG ZS SUVs built from December 4, 2025. A four-star rating still applies to vehicles built prior to this date.

The safety update saw the ANCAP Adult Occupant Protection score rise from 75 per cent to 81 per cent, enough to earn the full five-star safety rating.

“When we launched the new MG ZS, we said we wanted to end the compromise – that driving a compact SUV doesn’t need to come at the expense of power, performance or safety,” said Dean Sheed, MG Motor New Zealand country business manager.

“This is further evidence we’re remaining true to this philosophy and, with the MG ZS, you can have everything and more that you would expect to find in a much larger and significantly more expensive vehicle.”

The five-star ANCAP safety rating applies to all new variants in the MG ZS range available for sale in New Zealand, including Vibe Turbo, Essence Turbo, Excite Hybrid+, and Essence Hybrid+.

Read more: 2026 MG ZS review