The New Car Assessment Programme for South East Asian Countries (ASEAN NCAP) has just released its latest crash test results for the MG 3 and Renault Kwid and the two cars did not do very well. The MG 3 fared a measly 2 Stars while the Renault was given 0 Stars. As a comparison, the Perodua Myvi scored full 5 Stars ASEAN NCAP rating.
Let’s dissect the cars in a little more detail. The MG 3, which is sold in Thailand, gets a decent list of safety equipment such as dual airbags, ABS, Electronic Stability Control, ISOFIX mounting points and Seatbelt Reminder yet, its poor performance in the impact tests brought the car’s overall scoring down.
The MG 3 scored zero in the offset frontal impact showing its poor structural rigidity in a head-on collision. All its 19.58 points (out of 50) in the Adult Occupant Protection (AOP) category was solely contributed by its side-impact score. To put things into perspective, the Myvi scored 45.43 points in the AOP category.
Onto the Kwid which is destined for the Indonesian market (made in India), the 0 Star rating is due to the absence of safety assist systems (ABS, ESC), single airbag set up and the car’s weak overall structural rigidity. Results have shown that in a frontal and side impact collision, the front occupants sustained serious injury to the chest area.
Fortunately for us, these two models are not sold here in Malaysia as our country adheres to the UNECE standards for crash safety standards. This means cars sold in Malaysia must live up to crash safety standards dictate by UNECE.
So, the next time you go banging on the poor safety standards of cars in Malaysia, know that we are making good progress in making cars safer for everyone. Even a compact hatchback.
