Renault Kwid Crash Test (Source: Ncap)
UK-based vehicle testing agency Global NCAP today awarded zero star rating for the Renault Kwid, Maruti Suzuki Celerio, Maruti Suzuki Eeco, Mahindra Scorpio and Hyundai Eon following a crash test it conducted.
The Renault Kwid, which has received tremendous retail response with cumulative bookings of 125,000, was tested in three versions, including one with airbags, but each was rated as zero star for adult safety. The report went on to label the Kwid as sub-standard.
"The latest SaferCarsforIndia 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 at least of front air bags," said David Ward, Secretary General of Global NCAP.
"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," he added.
Four versions of the Kwid have been produced with different safety features, with the fourth only recently released and yet to be tested by Global NCAP.
Speaking during the Indian Automobile Safety Conference hosted by IRTE in Faridabad, Ward continued, "The results highlight the importance of the Indian Government's decision to mandate front and side impact crash tests from October 2017. Legislative action is needed to ensure that the minimum levels of occupant protection recommended by the United Nations are guaranteed for Indian consumers. But manufacturers don't have to wait for legislation and we urge them to act to eliminate all zero star cars from production as soon as possible.
The non-airbag Maruti Suzuki Celerio scored zero stars in adult occupant protection and one star in child occupant protection. The lack of airbags explained the poor result in adult occupant protection. The low score in child occupant protection is explained by the high values recorded in the 3-year-old child dummy as well as its forward excursion beyond the accepted limits.
Mahindra Scorpio also scored zero stars in the adult occupant protection and two stars in child occupant protection. The collapse of the structure combined with the lack of airbags explains the score for the adult occupants protection which means that there is high probability of life threatening injuries for at least one of the adult passengers.
The Hyundai Eon is offered in the standard version without airbags. It scored zero stars in the adult occupant protection and two stars in child occupant protection. The unstable structure in the passenger compartment and the lack of airbags explained the poor result in adult occupant protection.
Maruti Suzuki issued a statement saying: "All our products are safe. They meet the safety standards of India and in most cases, exceed them. The tests by global NCAP are conducted at speeds that are higher than those prescribed by the regulatory authorities not only in India but in Europe and USA. The results of Global NCAP have to be seen in that perspective. For Maruti Suzuki, as a market leader, safety is a top priority and we are fully committed towards enhancing the safety of our products and making consumers aware about the same. Thus we are offering an airbag option even in the Alto.
Our objective is to make our products compliant with all future regulation, ahead of the timeline. Our recently introduced model Vitara Brezza already complies with safety regulation (offset/side impact) which will come in to effect in October 2017."
