MG HS Euro NCAP crash test

5 stars. Overall excellent performance in crash protection and well equipped with comprehensive and robust crash avoidance technology

The passenger compartment of the HS remained stable in the frontal offset test. Dummy readings indicated good protection of the knees and femurs of both the driver and passenger. MG showed that, with the exception of the underside of the steering column, a similar level of protection would be provided to occupants of different sizes and to those sitting in different positions. In the full-width rigid barrier test, protection of the driver was good for all critical parts of the body, and was good or adequate for the rear passenger. In the side barrier impact, all critical body areas were well protected and the HS scored maximum points in this test. In the more severe side pole test, protection of the chest was rated as weak, based on dummy readings of rib compression, while that of other body areas was good. Tests on the front seats and head restraints demonstrated good protection against whiplash injuries in the event of a rear-end collision. A geometric assessment of the rear seats also indicated good whiplash protection. The standard-fit autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system performed well in tests of its functionality at the low speeds, typical of city driving, at which many whiplash injuries occur, with collisions avoided in all test scenarios.

In the frontal offset test, protection of both child occupants was good or adequate with the exception of the neck of the 10 year dummy, for which readings of neck tension indicated weak protection. In the side barrier test, protection of the 10 year old's head was rated as weak on the basis of the decelerations measured there. Otherwise, protection was good. The front passenger airbag can be disabled to allow a rearward-facing child restraint to be used in that seating position. Clear information is provided to the driver regarding the status of the airbag and the system was rewarded. All of the child restraint types for which the HS is designed could be properly installed and accommodated in the car.

The bonnet provided predominantly good or adequate protection to the head of a struck pedestrian, with only a few poor results on the stiff windscreen pillars. The bumper provided good or adequate protection to pedestrians' legs at most test locations. However, protection of the pelvis area was mixed. The AEB system of the HS can detect vulnerable road users like pedestrians and cyclists, as well as other vehicles. In tests of the its response to pedestrians, the system performed well and, against cyclists, it performed adequately.

The HS has a seatbelt reminder for the front and rear seats. A speed assistance system uses a camera to determine the local speed limit. This information is presented to the driver who can set the limiter to the appropriate speed. A lane support system helps to prevent inadvertent drifting out of lane. During tests of the AEB system against another vehicle at highway speeds, low-speed impacts with the target meant that the radar had to be re-aligned and the system re-set several times. Such repeated activation of the AEB system and impact with a target is unrepresentative of the real world and the performance of the system was rated as good, with collisions avoided or mitigated in most circumstances.