Six newly launched Indian cars get ZERO safety rating

Local Press Co 5-point Snippet

1. The Global New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP), which conducts safety tests on cars from across the world, announced the results of this year’s tests in Delhi on Tuesday.

2. Among the newly launched Indian cars, the independent agency tested Maruti Suzuki’s Celerio and Eeco, Mahindra Scorpio, Hyundai Eon along with three variants of Renault Kwid. Sadly, six of the seven cars failed the tests and all seven got a zero rating for adult safety.

3. Surprisingly, even the Renault Kwid variant which is equipped with air bags failed to perform better. Further, Maruti Suzuki’s Celerio secured only one star for child safety, while the other five received two each.

4. While declaring the results, David Ward, Secretary General of Global NCAP stated,“The latest 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 prerequisite for occupant safety together with fitment at least of 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.”

5. The results highlight the importance of the Indian Government’s decision to mandate front and side impact crash tests from October 2017. The results of the tested cars are given in the picture below: