Trio of big name electric cars smash safety testing: 2025 Tesla Model 3, Kia EV3 and MG S5 EV all achieve coveted five-star rating

ANCAP, Australia’s crash-testing authority, has awarded five-star safety ratings to the Tesla Model 3 and new Kia EV3 and MG S5 EV.

Despite achieving a five-star rating when it first arrive in 2020, the Model 3’s top marks did not carry over under ANCAP’s typical six-year lifespan when the new version arrived in 2023 due to modest structural changes.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing in hindsight for Tesla, with the addition of a new centre airbag and an active bonnet system seeing it improve considerably in the testing categories of child occupant protection and vulnerable road user protection.

ANCAP noted a particularly strong performance in the Child Occupant Protection pillar tests of 95 per cent, which is the highest result to date against ANCAPs 2023-2025 criteria.

A vulnerable road user score of 89 per cent was another Tesla record to notch on its belt.

“The upgraded Tesla Model 3 has again delivered all-round safety performance, with standout results for child occupant and vulnerable road user protection, making it a reassuring choice for families,” said ANCAP Chief Executive Officer, Carla Hoorweg.

Moving over to the EV3 (which is a far more recent addition to Kia line-up), it similarly saw strong performances across the board, with ANCAP in particular noting its strong performance in the full-width frontal test with a strong Adult Occupant Protection score.

Its autonomous safety systems also performed strongly in testing scenarios that involved pedestrians and cyclists.

More mixed results were seen in the frontal offset tests, ranging from “adequate” protection for the driver’s head and chest to “marginal” protection for the driver’s and passenger’s legs.

Overall, ANCAP commended Kia's strong prioritisation of safety for its EV range, which also includes the five-star-rated EV5, EV6 and EV9.

“Following in the footsteps of the larger EV9 and EV5 models, the Kia EV3 has demonstrated the brand’s continued prioritisation of safety for its Australian and New Zealand customers,” said Hoorweg.

The MG S5 EV was also praised for its strong Adult Occupant Protection and Child Occupant Protection scores, the latter of which was rated at 90 per cent.

Strong results were generally recorded across the board, with some “adequate” ratings, such as for chest protection for the driver and passenger in the full-width frontal test, levelled out by “good” ratings more broadly.

ANCAP CEO Carla Hoorweg noted it was a strong turn around for MG, which sensationally scored a zero-star rating for its MG 5 sedan in 2023.

“Following a series of mixed safety outcomes for MG in recent times, the addition of this new five-star model is encouraging,” said Hoorweg.

“It reinforces MG’s ability to meet the highest safety standards, and we look forward to seeing this level of commitment carry through to future new model releases,” said Hoorweg.

Readers can search for the Tesla Model 3’s, Kia EV3’s and MG S5 EV’s safety score report on the ANCAP website here.