Social media doesn’t take kindly to anyone who avoids being responsible and it sure hasn’t been kind to the cars manufactured by Maruti Suzuki. The worst of all, the cars are being referred to as “tin-cans” due to these cars performing poorly at the crash tests conducted by Global NCAP,
Previously it was assumed that the cars manufactured for domestic consumption in India were safe and secure but, there were no tests that could prove this claim. Thanks to the tests developed by Global NCAP, each model by each manufacturer can be tested for their worthiness. And recently, Global NCAP launched a campaign to make safer cars for the Indian market. As support, not only has the government been stricter implementing automotive standards but OEMs across the country have stepped up their game to meet the global safety standards.
Initially, it was expected that the global OEMs would be the ones leading the safety game in India, but it definitely was not the case. It was in fact the Indian brands Tata Motors and Mahindra who took it upon themselves to become the benchmark for crash test safety. The Tata Nexon was the first Indian car to achieve a five-star rating for adult occupant safety by Global NCAP towards the end of 2018. This was followed by Tata Altroz receiving yet another 5-star rating by the same this month!
Soon after Tata Motors scored a perfect 5, Mahindra joined the club with their XUV300. Actually, this compact crossover is the highest scorer within the country with a five star for adult occupants and a 4-star rating for child occupant safety as well. Both Mahindra and Tata Motors have models in their portfolio that have received a good four-star rating in crash tests by the Global NCAP. The models include Mahindra Marazzo, Tata Tigor, and Tata Tiago. Zest has also been given a four-star rating. Coming to the global OEMs such as Honda, they have only managed to receive a 4-star rating for the models manufactured specifically in India for the Indian market.
The CEO and President of the Global NCAP, David Ward, has encouraged other OEMs in India to follow the trend that has been set by Tata Motors and Mahindra. He specifically urged Maruti Suzuki to step up their game considering they are the largest passenger car manufacturers in the country. Additionally, he mentioned that OEMs such as VW and Toyota who have a global presence do not have an excuse for not having 5-star safety rated models in their lineup.
Recently the standards have been focused on making features such as airbags mandatory. These airbags will serve the purpose of improving the performance of passenger cars in crash tests. However, for a car to receive the perfect 5, the structure needs to be of peak integrity. Currently, the only model of Maruti Suzuki that holds a 4-star rating is the Vitara Brezza. Is it possible that the next model by the manufacturer will finally make it to the 5-star club? Let us know in the comments below!
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