Euro NCAP warns of "critical safety flaw" in MG car

The MG3 revealed a problem in the Euro NCAP frontal crash test . The problem is a failure in the driver's seat anchor mechanism, which engineers discovered.

This is a fault considered "critical", and "never before seen" in the hundreds of passenger cars tested since 1997. Euro NCAP detailed the explanations.

The organization's website reads: "The failure of the fastening mechanism caused the driver's seat to partially twist during the impact . This movement led to high forces on the test model's right leg , with protection for that area of the body considered 'poor'. The seat failure also meant that MG was unable to demonstrate how well the car would protect the knees and femurs of occupants of different sizes or those sitting in varying positions."

Despite detecting this issue, Euro NCAP maintains the four stars out of five for the MG3 , as the scoring system "does not currently allow for a deduction or cancellation in the event of such a component failure".

Other areas of the car continue to make it qualified for its current level, such as the recently improved accident avoidance systems.

MG's reaction

Today, MG has Chinese owners. When confronted by Euro NCAP about this defect, the manufacturer claimed it was due to "improper seat attachment prior to the test." However, as per procedure, this was verified before the test began.

Thus, MG ended up committing to "improving the design of the seat's fixing mechanism to ensure it remains robust in the event of an impact".

The current MG3 is a car that presents itself as affordable and fuel-efficient. It offers hybrid and non-hybrid gasoline powertrains.