Maruti Ertiga, WagonR, Hyundai Santro, Datsun RediGo get disappointing crash-test scores at Global NCAP
Tata Nexon has been the only Indian car to get a five-star rating in the Global NCAP’s Safer Cars for India test started in 2014.
Global NCAP, the car safety performance assessment programme, has conducted the sixth round of the ‘Safer Cars for India’ test.
The test this time included the entry-level version of Maruti Ertiga, Maruti WagonR, Hyundai Santro, and Datsun RediGo. The results revealed significant differences in adult occupant protection in cars that meet the latest Indian government vehicle technical regulations.
Maruti Ertiga has received a three-star rating for adult and child occupation. The MPV gets two frontal airbags in the front as a standard, but the body structure was rated as borderline unstable. Also, pedal displacement during the crash test showed risks to the lower legs of the driver. Head and neck protection were good for occupants, and, while chest protection for the passenger was good, the driver’s chest received marginal protection. Child occupant protection for the Ertiga showed poor results for the eighteen-month-old dummy used in the test.
Adding perspective to the results, David Ward, CEO and President of Global NCAP, said,
“The latest results in our #SaferCarsforIndia crash tests show a mixed safety performance, and, disappointingly, there are no five-star performers. The Suzuki Maruti Ertiga achieves a creditable three stars for both adult and child occupant protection, but it’s obvious to us that more can and should be done to improve overall protection levels for cars sold in the market. The Indian government’s crash test standards are clearly helping to eliminate any new zero-star cars from the market, and we will continue to work with them to ensure the push of regulatory requirements is complemented by the pull of consumer awareness, encouraging the demand for ever-higher levels of safety.”
Both the Maruti WagonR and the Hyundai Santro received two stars for adult and child occupation. Global NCAP has rated the structure and footwall area of both the hatchbacks unstable. Also, raising alarm bells is the weak chest protection for adult occupants.
The Datsun RediGo received one star for adult occupant protection and two stars for child occupancy. The poor protection for any of the critical body regions further raises eyebrows.
Between 2014 and 2018, Global NCAP has conducted more than twenty-nine safety assessments.
India still does not have a concrete crash testing structure despite the government and the Bharat New Vehicle Assessment Programme initiating several measures over the years.
