Five Indian car models fail global NCAP crash tests

18 May 2016

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As many as five popular car models made in India have failed crash tests conducted by global vehicle safety group Global NCAP. These are the Renault Kwid, Maruti Suzuki Celerio, Maruti Suzuki Eeco, Mahindra Scorpio and Hyundai Eon. All cars have received zero star ratings for safety.

This is not the first time Indian cars have failed the tests, because to clear them the vehicles must carry some basic safety equipment like dual airbags. None of these cars have airbags as standard, which means that like in the previous tests, they failed even before they started. Of course the structural integrity of the car's body shell is also tested, and here too many performed poorly.

Reacting to the report, Maruti Suzuki India chairman R C Bhargava said the GNCAP is a voluntary standard and no country requires manufacturers to pass its standards. So there is no fear of exports being hit, he told CNBC-TV18.

Moreover, the GNCAP has not tested cars as per Indian Standards, which the company complies with as per the Indian law. ''Our regulations require that crash tests are done at a speed of 56 km/hr. This is the same standard that prevails in Europe and in the USA,'' he said.

India is the world's sixth-largest automobile market, and is projected to overtake South Korea and Germany and jump to the fourth spot by 2020. It is also a global manufacturing hub for several automakers. This is why Global NCAP has taken up the matter of safety regulation and appealed to the Indian government to take steps to institute a New Car Assessment Programme or NCAP for India.

Global NCAP's first India crash test was conducted almost three years ago with five models - Tata Nano, Maruti Suzuki Alto 800, Ford Figo, Hyundai i10 and VW Polo. The next round in 2014 used two models - Datsun GO and Maruti Suzuki Swift.

Other markets like the US, the EU, Latin America, Australia, China and even South East Asian countries have their own NCAP. India is the only major automobile market that does not.

The latest tests conducted by Global NCAP showed that in an accident, all the failed cars would leave the driver with possible life-threatening injuries to the occupants. All the cars scored two stars each for child safety, barring the Maruti Suzuki Celerio, which was able to score only one star.

David Ward, the secretary general of Global NCAP, said, "The latest 'Safer Cars for India' test results show how important it is for cars to have a body shell that can remain stable in a crash. This is an absolutely crucial pre-requisite for occupant safety together with fitment of at least front air bags. It is very surprising that a manufacturer like Renault introduced the Kwid initially lacking this essential feature. Global NCAP strongly believes that no manufacturer anywhere in the world should be developing new models that are so clearly sub-standard. Car makers must ensure that their new models pass the UN's minimum crash test regulations, and support use of an airbag."

Renault for its part has already said it will rework the Kwid to make it safer. It shares space with cars like the Maruti Suzuki Alto and now the Hyundai Eon that have also fared miserably in similar tests.

Reacting to the tests, Renault India said, "Indian government has announced that the crash test regulation for the existing cars will come into effect in 2019 and for the new cars in 2017. Renault is committed to comply with these timelines."

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