When buying a new car, the safety of the car should be a key consideration. When you go showroom to purchase a car, the salesman tells you about the safety features of the car like Airbags, ABS, EBD, etc. But the story should not end here. We should understand that the structural build and integrity of a vehicle are as important as safety features. This is where Global NCAP ratings of a car help us.
The NCAP ( New Car assessment program ) has a 5 Star rating system by which you can compare vehicles more easily and identify the safest choice for your needs. The safety rating is determined from a series of vehicle tests, designed and carried out by an NCAP. These tests represent real-life accident scenarios that could result in injured or killed car occupants or other road users. There are many NCAPs across the globe out of which, you have heard about GLOBAL NCAP in India.
The reason why GLOBAL NCAP is so famous in India is because of its SAFER CARS FOR INDIA(#SAFERCARSFORINDIA) campaign. This UK-based NCAP performs tests on Indian cars. Based on the test performance, it gives a rating to the car out of 5.
Here is the list of Some Highest selling cars in India that are actually not safe as per the GLOBAL NCAP ratings.
Maruti Suzuki Swift
Maruti Suzuki Swift has been the best-selling hatchback in the country for the past 15 years. Last year also Swift was the best-selling car in India with 1,60,700 units. According to Maruti Suzuki – ” 53 percent of Swift customers are below the age of 35 years, thus establishing the model as the ‘coming of the age’ car with its tech-savvy features, value-for-money offerings, and sporty design.
According to the Global NCAP test results, The latest version of the Maruti Suzuki Swift with dual front airbags( standard), and ISOFIX anchorages scored two stars in Adult Occupant Protection and two stars for Child Occupant Protection. The two-star result for adult occupants is due to high compression to the driver’s chest, unstable structure, and poor protection for the feet explained by pedal displacement on the driver side.
The 2-star child protection explained by the forward facing positioning of the 18-month-old dummy in the test offering low protection and also the low protection offered to the chest of the 3-year-old dummy. The bodyshell was rated as unstable and it was not capable of withstanding further loadings.
Maruti Suzuki WagonR
WagonR is also one of the most selling cars in India. The WagonR achieved two stars for adult occupant protection and two stars for child occupant protection. It is to be noted that the WagonR used in the test had only a driver frontal airbag. Surprisingly, the WagonR scored the same results as swift with a single airbag as standard. So, there are some chances that it could perform better than the swift if it is equipped with dual frontal airbags.
Its structure was rated as unstable. Its footwell area was rated as unstable and pedal displacement showed some risk to the lower legs of the driver. Head protection for adult occupants was good. Neck protection for the driver was good and adequate for passengers. Chest protection was weak for both front passengers leading to limitations in the SBR ( seat belt reminder )points achieved by this model. Chest protection for the 18month old dummy was low despite being installed rearward facing.
Hyundai Grandi 10 Nios
After Creta, the Grandi 10 Nios was the best-selling car of Hyundai in the year 2020. This car is loaded with features, has great looks, and offers you a wide range of engine and transmission options but surprisingly its performance in the Global NCAP crash test is not good at all.
The Grand i10 Nios achieved two stars for adult occupant protection and two stars for child occupant protection. It offers double frontal airbags and pretensioners for both front passengers as standard. Its structure was rated as unstable. Its footwell area was rated as unstable. Head and neck protection for adult occupants was good while the 3-year-old dummy showed poor protection for the head due to excessive forward excursion of the head during the crash and limited chest protection.
Kia Seltos
Kia Seltos was the first offering of Kia in India. Last year it was one of the best-selling cars in India. Seltos was at No.9 on the list of 30 best-selling cars in the year 2020. But Surprisingly, The Seltos achieved three stars for adult occupant protection and two stars for child occupant protection.
Although a 3 Star rating is not a poor rating but considering the price of Seltos, it should achieve at least 4-star ratings. It offers double frontal airbags and pretensioners as standard. Its structure was rated as borderline case unstable. Its footwell area was rated as unstable. Head protection was adequate for both front passengers as both airbags bottomed out during the crash test. Neck protection for adult occupants was good.
Chest protection was good for passengers and marginal for drivers. The dynamic performance was poor as the head of the 3-year-old showed contact during the rebound face after the impact. The car showed limited protection for the 3-year-old head and neck while the 18-month-old received acceptable protection.
Maruti Suzuki S-Presso
The Maruti Suzuki S-Presso scored 11th rank in the highest selling cars list of 2020. It was the sole model in the Maruti Suzuki portfolio to note positive growth and that too by 168 percent. But shockingly the car scored a disappointing 0-star rating in the Global NCAP crash test.
The S-Presso achieved zero stars for adult occupant protection and two stars for child occupant protection. The tested model offers only driver airbag as standard. The high readings in the passenger neck explain the zero star result. Its structure was rated as unstable and should be improved according to the Global NCAP.
Child occupant protection showed poor results for both child dummies in the dynamic test explained by the poor performance of the restraint systems.