The cars with the worst ANCAP ratings
Is there such a thing as an unsafe car in 2025?
With the introduction of mandatory autonomous emergency braking (AEB), stability control and other modern functions under the Australian Design Rules – not to mention greater consumer expectations – you could argue not.
That said, the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP), which has been advocating for safer vehicles for more than 30 years, insists some new cars remain safer than others.
A vehicle’s list of standard safety features and driver aids can be the difference between a five-star car and a zero-star car, according to ANCAP.
ANCAP crash tests cars in Australia and awards them an independent rating, which car brands can then leverage as a promotional tool or to gain fleet sales.
ANCAP has no legal power in Australia. Its reports cover four key areas: adult occupant protection, child occupant protection, vulnerable road user protection, and safety assistance, which refers to collision avoidance technologies such as AEB.
ANCAP awards star scores (a maximum of five) based on a vehicle’s performance in its poorest test. So, for example, if a car scores well in adult occupant protection but tests poorly in safety assistance, that’s what the entire rating will be determined by.
Based on data using the ANCAP website, here are the five worst ANCAP ratings on new cars currently on sale in Australia.
MG 5 – zero stars
The MG 5 sedan landed in Australia last year, touted as the country’s cheapest new sedan at $24,888 drive away.
While it does boast autonomous emergency braking, a heap of driver assistance systems were omitted to get it to that headline price. They include lane centre assistance, lane keeping assistance, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control.
Furthermore, there’s no centre airbag or seatbelt pretensioners on this Chinese-built car.
ANCAP testing exposed numerous structural issues with the test vehicle, which meant the MG 5 scored zero points in three out of five crash tests.
MG has committed to an imminent safety upgrade on the MG 5, although that had yet to materialise at the time of writing.
Mahindra Scorpio – zero stars
Like the MG, the Mahindra Scorpio lobbed into Australia in 2023 promising a strong value equation.
The diesel-powered 4x4 was offered for a drive-away price of $41,990, roughly half the price of a well-specified Ford Everest or Toyota Prado. But that was before mandatory autonomous emergency braking (known as ADR 98/00) was introduced to the Australian Design Rules from March 2025. As such, the Mahindra Scorpio is currently on ice. It is expected to re-emerge on the Australian market later this year, armed with AEB and a host of other equipment.
According to ANCAP, he Indian-produced off-roader came with some pretty big safety caveats in its previous incarnation. These included no AEB, no lane keeping and no blind spot monitoring, rendering it a zero-star car. It also failed to score in two of five crash tests.
Suzuki Swift – one star
Making the affordable small car formula work in Australia is proving a difficult assignment in Australia, especially in the face of stricter safety and emissions requirements.
The new-generation Suzuki Swift landed here in June 2024. Not long after, the Swift was awarded a three-star Euro NCAP rating.
But ANCAP pointed out that the Australian specification “differed to those sold in Europe” and after conducting a thorough crash test awarded a one-star safety rating.
The Swift’s major failing was how well it protected (or didn’t protect) occupants in a crash.
MG 3 – three stars
Much like the Suzuki Swift, the new-generation MG3 arrived in Australia trying to straddle the fine line between affordability and a generous suite of standard equipment and safety.
It did so under the most recent (and stringent) ANCAP regulations, with a poor safety assistance result caused by its autonomous emergency braking system (which didn’t respond in reversing, crossing or head-on emergency scenarios) – ultimately dictating a three-star score.
Suzuki Jimny – three stars
The Suzuki Jimny’s cult-like appeal has only continued in Australia despite a three-star ANCAP safety rating.
The diminutive off-roader’s score applies only to the three-door model, which was tested in 2019 and criticised for structural issues including excessive deformation of the passenger compartment, steering wheel displacement, and pedal intrusion.
Jeep Wrangler, Gladiator and Avenger – three stars
This trio of Jeeps share the unenviable trait of a three-star ANCAP crash test rating.
The Jeep Wrangler wagon and its dual cab ute spin-off, the Gladiator, have the same fundamental structures and safety tech, meaning they are rated together.
After initially receiving a one-star safety score back in 2019, the JL Wrangler and later the Gladiator were offered standard with AEB and blind spot monitoring across the range in 2020. This boosted safety to three stars, according to ANCAP – however the sub-par structural systems that ANCAP originally admonished remained unchanged.
The Jeep Avenger’s three-star safety rating was announced in December 2024, under more stringent testing protocols.
Of particular concern to ANCAP was the all-electric Avenger’s autonomous emergency braking system (which failed to react when crossing the path of another vehicle or in head-on scenarios), the lack of child presence detection (CPD), and its marginal pedestrian detection.
