New MG IM 5 and IM 6 Crash Test Results: 5 Star ANCAP

MG’s new electric duo has just made a very strong first impression in Australasia, and it has everything to do with safety. The Australasian New Car Assessment Program has tested the IM 6 and IM 5, and both have come away with a maximum 5 star safety rating. In the same test round, the Renault Duster has landed with a more modest 3 star result, showing how wide the gap can be between the latest premium electric vehicles and a more basic compact sport utility vehicle.

The IM 6, MG’s premium medium sport utility vehicle, stands out not only because it is fully electric, but because it protects people very well in a crash. In the frontal offset mobile progressive deformable barrier test, it scored 7.54 points out of 8.00, which is one of the highest scores achieved under the current protocol. That strong number reflects two things: very good protection for the people inside and a lower “compatibility” risk, meaning it is less aggressive to the other car in a head on impact.

Its sedan sibling, the IM 5, tells a similar story. This large battery electric sedan earned a 5 star rating across all variants thanks to a very stable passenger cell and effective seat belts and airbags that work together as a system. Adult occupants are well covered in both frontal and side impacts, and families will appreciate the 91 percent score for Child Occupant Protection. In those tests, child dummies remained well protected in both front and side crashes.

Both the IM 5 and IM 6 also show that they are designed to help drivers avoid a crash in the first place. Their assistance systems can detect pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, and their autonomous emergency braking worked well in straight line and turning scenarios.

By contrast, the Renault Duster arrives with a 3 star rating. It does some things well, such as protecting the driver in the pole test and giving good side impact protection, but its frontal performance is more mixed. Weak protection for the driver’s chest and the absence of a centre airbag hold it back. Its autonomous emergency braking system also struggles in more complex situations, and it does not react to some oncoming or overtaking vehicles in emergency lane keeping tests. These gaps lead to scores of 60 percent for Vulnerable Road User Protection and 58 percent for Safety Assist, and they cap its overall result.