Repeated Case of Zero NCAP Crash Test Rating of Indian Cars

[Britto]

In Autocar India website, in the news section there was an article about the 2018 model new swift scoring absymal two stars in GNCAP tests conducted recently.LiNK HERE: https://www.autocarindia.com/car-ne...es-two-stars-in-global-ncap-crash-test-409994
I commented in the comments section on how the vehicle is good to go to the gym and back alluding to their long term report of the same model , with not much as a word about build quality. Link here: https://www.autocarindia.com/car-lo...ki-swift-long-term-review-first-report-408537.
In a follow up comment, I also brought to their memory, Maruti Suzuki Chairman Mr. Bhargava's famous comment about how their cars pass all Indian crash test regulations.The comment did not pass the moderators scrutiny I guess, for it did not get posted on the website. I guess too much is at stake for these auto publications.
I remember picking up autocar india's first copy , the test drive of Ford Ikon , as a kid at school.
It is indeed sad to see that most of the reviews today are biased, and with so much reliance on ad revenue, how can you expect the publications to be unbiased.
By the way as per Autocar's own website, there are 16 fatal casualities and 53 injuries due to accidents per hour in our country.Link here: https://www.autocarindia.com/indust...-claim-more-than-14-lakh-lives-in-2017-410111
.Thats a shocking number of lives lost.
I hear the general question...why single out Maruti Suzuki??
My answer is their market share is phenominally high, the swift and dezire alone accounts for a huge bulk of the sales. They are the market leader, they are cash rich. And they are in a position to make a difference. Thats why..

Ofcourse all of us are to blame.
The greased palms of the RTO's who let novice immature not yet qualified drivers on the road,
The hand in glove driving school touts, who fill up the exam papers themselves,
The traffic policeman , who looks the other way when a government transport bus does not stop at a signal. After all what gain in stopping them.
Our own chalte hai attitude.. when we bow to our family members pressure to add that touch screen .
Its time safety takes a front seat, all buckled up.
I think an unbiased forum like Automotive india , can spread awareness about safety in a big way, may be bring out stickers that we can put on our cars or something of that sort. Your comments are welcome.

Exactly my point sir ! I have never seen autocar magazine/ reviews talk about the safety of the car !!
In today's time it's a very valid point to be included as part of all our reviews..
one more problem is that the safety ratings are not readily available by the time the car is launched and reviewd in India. It takes a good 6 - 8 months for the safety ratings to be out...

I think, once the proposed bharatncap kicks in, every manufacturer should be made to crash test the vehicle as part of arai certifications and show that as a specification of the vehicle..

Agreed, it will shoot up the vehicle, but it's the customers call to buy a low safety rated car..

 

[dr_vm]

In teambhp, there is an ongoing thread about how the entire cross member of an S cross, to which the tow hook is attached sheared out upon being towed out using a scorpio. There is a lengthy discussion with people feeling the jerk applied at the initial stage of towing was too much and so on.This incident has come at just the right time if you ask me.
I would say , if you provide tow hooks right at the position where you expect it to be, it should , no questions asked take the load. On a lighter note , when you are in a tight situation like that where your car unfortunately needs to be towed due to a radiator leak, you cant be sitting and calculating the shearing forces and maximum load and melting point and so on.Provided the vehicle was not damaged before, this is a case of suspect build quality. Its quite sad, bebause whenever people used to ask me ..Would you not recommend any Maruti car? Most of them have already decided its going to be a Maruti , I would always say the S cross is good. Now even that is suspect.
Personally I have pulled an Ertiga out of slush using the Aria as a tow car. The Aria has proper screwable beefy tow hooks that come with the toolkit. There was no damage to the other car.
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/tech...d-towing-rips-out-tow-hook-front-members.html
Image credit:team bhp

 

[vikyjoshi]

Would you not recommend any Maruti car? Most of them have already decided its going to be a Maruti , I would always say the S cross is good. Now even that is suspect.

Yet people will happily buy the tin cans. They are assumed to give fantastic average. That is all that matters. No fuss in ownership, yeah the car can be metal ball in an accident, but then doesn't bother me while normal driving. Yes the car is not safe but hey, I get more miles to a liter of petrol. Petrol prices are sky-high, and this car help saves money.

 

[Crazy cat]

In teambhp, there is an ongoing thread about how the entire cross member of an S cross, to which the tow hook is attached sheared out upon being towed out using a scorpio. There is a lengthy discussion with people feeling the jerk applied at the initial stage of towing was too much and so on.This incident has come at just the right time if you ask me.
I would say , if you provide tow hooks right at the position where you expect it to be, it should , no questions asked take the load. On a lighter note , when you are in a tight situation like that where your car unfortunately needs to be towed due to a radiator leak, you cant be sitting and calculating the shearing forces and maximum load and melting point and so on.Provided the vehicle was not damaged before, this is a case of suspect build quality. Its quite sad, bebause whenever people used to ask me ..Would you not recommend any Maruti car? Most of them have already decided its going to be a Maruti , I would always say the S cross is good. Now even that is suspect.
Personally I have pulled an Ertiga out of slush using the Aria as a tow car. The Aria has proper screwable beefy tow hooks that come with the toolkit. There was no damage to the other car.
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/tech...d-towing-rips-out-tow-hook-front-members.html
Image credit:team bhp

This S cross incident can only be clarified by Maruti. Looking at the video, there is a abrupt jerk while moving and then the Baleno driver brakes to avoid cattle, while the scorpio accelerates.

Someone with technical expertise can help.

 

[vikyjoshi]

There is a lengthy discussion with people feeling the jerk applied at the initial stage of towing was too much and so on.This incident has come at just the right time if you ask me.

On the image posted,

Is the part of the chassis? If yes then I have a problem, the chassis should bear the force of accident, accidents are knee jerk, sudden, and nothing planned. IF a simple towing jerk is able to break a part of chassis then God help Suzuki owners.

Please correct me if I am wrong here.

 

[kasscon]

The S-Presso has a 0 star rating!

The much awaited Kia Seltos has been crash tested by Global NCAP and it's results are nothing but disappointing at just 3 stars!

Next in line comes the Grand i10 Nios, which is yet another disappointment at just 2 stars, just like the Santro!

Expected nothing better from S-presso and i10 Nios, but the Seltos at 3 Stars is seriously disappointing.
Sad that these tincans are the best sellers of the country. These are India's biggest manufacturers and they need to be held responsible for the safety of their customers.
And do not expect any impact on sales because most car buyers in India today are bothered about - Bling, touchscreens, sunroofs and features on most cars and budget buyers are concerned only about mileage.

 

[SilverEyez]

How does GNCAP acquire cars for testing?
Numerous Manufacturers and many Car Models are available in the market Globally but why only selected cars are considered for testing?
I have heard that Maruti Suzuki is against GNCAP, so do they still provide them with a car for testing.
What are the actions taken by authorities in the Automobile industry after the results?
If the car is unsafe, either it should be made Safe immediately or stopped from production.
Confusing!!

 

[mayankdixit]

Top end seltos is almost 3 times as costly as Tata Altroz. Yet kia is barely 3stars and altroz is 5 star rated!!
No ethics with Kia. They sell 5star rated seltos in Australia and America. And deliberately sell stripped version here. And charge 20lakhs plus for it. And we lap it up as if we are being gifted something straight from heaven.
It's our fault too. Even after all this exposure kia sales will not stop. Because they are giving sunroof and air purifier and a big touch screen.

 

[Nairrk]

Expected nothing better from S-presso and i10 Nios, but the Seltos at 3 Stars is seriously disappointing.

Maruti Suzuki responds to above test ratiing:


Official statement from Maruti Suzuki:

“Safety is a critical issue and is therefore closely regulated by governments around the world as they are responsible for the safety of the people in their countries. It cannot be left to the opinion of any self proclaimed party. The Government of India has recently increased the stringency of car crash test standards and made them identical to European standards. All products of the company are fully compliant with these global standards and duly tested and certified by the Government of India.”​

Source

 

[TAUREAN CZAR]

How does GNCAP acquire cars for testing?
Numerous Manufacturers and many Car Models are available in the market Globally but why only selected cars are considered for testing?
I have heard that Maruti Suzuki is against GNCAP, so do they still provide them with a car for testing.
What are the actions taken by authorities in the Automobile industry after the results?
If the car is unsafe, either it should be made Safe immediately or stopped from production.
Confusing!!

GNCAP generally does not get cars from the manufacturer for crash testing.

There are two types, first is voluntary where a manufacturer pats and sends his vehicle for testing. Second is where GNCAP picks a base end randomly from the showroom as a customer and ships it to the center.

They are basically an NGO and get their money on charity for public safety. Company does not pay them nor donates a car.

About Global NCAP

 

[dr_vm]

Maruti Suzuki responds to above test ratiing:


Official statement from Maruti Suzuki:

“Safety is a critical issue and is therefore closely regulated by governments around the world as they are responsible for the safety of the people in their countries. It cannot be left to the opinion of any self proclaimed party. The Government of India has recently increased the stringency of car crash test standards and made them identical to European standards. All products of the company are fully compliant with these global standards and duly tested and certified by the Government of India.”​

Source

So before the government made stringent laws, what were you doing Maruti Suzuki, selling bread boxes and tincans (Strictly my opinion , no offense meant) . Now Hyundai have also picked it up. Sometimes I wonder what happens in these cost cutting meeting boardrooms, in the pursuit of profits, how much is traded off??
"In 2015, there were about five lakh road accidents in India, which killed about 1.5 lakh people and injured about five lakh people. India, as a signatory to the Brasilia declaration, intends to reduce road accidents and traffic fatalities by 50% by 2022."
Source : Overview of Road Accidents in India
How do we achieve this target unless the market leader makes safety a priority, with their 50 percent market share.
I request the authorities to have a relook at the standards set.
In emissions we have jumped from BS4 to BS6, the need of which can be debated considering our economy, why cant we have similar approach to issues regarding safety.
Carmakers come to India to do business, only legislation can bring in the impetus in safety.
Really hats off to GNCAP.
The Maruti Suzuki S-Presso has scored a disappointing zero star in adult protection and 2 stars for child safety
"Alejandro Furas, Secretary General of Global NCAP said, “It is very disappointing that Maruti Suzuki, the manufacturer with the largest share of the Indian market, offers such low safety performance for Indian consumers. Domestic manufacturers like Mahindra and Tata have demonstrated high levels of safety and protection for their customers, both achieving five star performances. Surely it's time for Maruti Suzuki to demonstrate this commitment to safety for its customers?”
Source : Another Zero Star Crash Rating For Maruti, Kia Gets 3 Stars For Seltos

 

[vikyjoshi]

So before the government made stringent laws, what were you doing Maruti Suzuki, selling bread boxes and tincans (Strictly my opinion , no offense meant) . Now Hyundai have also picked it up. Sometimes I wonder what happens in these cost cutting meeting boardrooms, in the pursuit of profits, how much is traded off??
"In 2015, there were about five lakh road accidents in India, which killed about 1.5 lakh people and injured about five lakh people. India, as a signatory to the Brasilia declaration, intends to reduce road accidents and traffic fatalities by 50% by 2022."
Source : Overview of Road Accidents in India
How do we achieve this target unless the market leader makes safety a priority, with their 50 percent market share.
I request the authorities to have a relook at the standards set.
In emissions we have jumped from BS4 to BS6, the need of which can be debated considering our economy, why cant we have similar approach to issues regarding safety.
Carmakers come to India to do business, only legislation can bring in the impetus in safety.
Really hats off to GNCAP.
The Maruti Suzuki S-Presso has scored a disappointing zero star in adult protection and 2 stars for child safety
"Alejandro Furas, Secretary General of Global NCAP said, “It is very disappointing that Maruti Suzuki, the manufacturer with the largest share of the Indian market, offers such low safety performance for Indian consumers. Domestic manufacturers like Mahindra and Tata have demonstrated high levels of safety and protection for their customers, both achieving five star performances. Surely it's time for Maruti Suzuki to demonstrate this commitment to safety for its customers?”
Source : Another Zero Star Crash Rating For Maruti, Kia Gets 3 Stars For Seltos

There is no point whinning about Suzuki and Hyundai. They are not indian. They are here to make money. If they get with ease why bother about making more investment. People should reject them, but would that ever happen? No coz indian junta don't care about safety. Good to know that there are couple of mass market car makers who do care about safety and give small niche buyer segment option for getting safe cars.

 

[Suhelmak]

Wow, after looking at all this, I feel extremely relieved that I bought Tigor XT Diesel(7.3 lakhs on road in dec 2017, I stress here on the price to highlight the pricepoint at which I got a safe car), this was even before the crash test was out. Till date I still cannot forget that horrific incident when a 4 axle truck reversing at about 10-15 kmph dragged my car almost 50-60 metres in reverse, my wife was seated inside the car, while I had gone for a loo break at a toll naka. When it all halted, there were 2 outcomes, a shocked wife, and a minor scratch on the tata logo, thats it.

By the way, few reasons while making a desicion on purchase, why I rejected Baleno was specifically pathetic suspension, and sheet metal it flexed on my thumb pressure (while I know the outer sheet metal does not matter in case of crash, yet it did not give me confidance) both just felt just like my K10, and again same story with Dzire, doors felt terribly light, and there was that flex too, maybe that was a good indication of not so strong material and build quality.

Many of my friends and colleages were suprised and commented that, why didnt you go for a Baleno or Dzire, they are hot in market, you will not get a good resale for Tata, Maruti has good interior, Baleno is upmarket!, and what not. At the end what is the use of all this if my car is not safe.

I have lost hopes in maruti after my service experiences and pathetic build quality reports. Probably the K10(0 star) is our last Maruti and the last car without a minimum 4 star crash rating.

What is really suprising is Seltos, and do remember that most of these SUVs are driven on highways at or above 100kmph, a crast test in 60s(kmph) which the NCAP conducts, does not even simulate a realistic crash of the speeds in Urban Arterial and Sub Arterial roads in major cities like Mumbai(eastern express highway) Delhi, where on certain stretch of urban roads cars travel at 80kmph (non peak hours please)! Let alone a high speed crash on highway and expressways. From Maruti, it is expected, but from a brand like Hyundai and Kia! Who are major global players, such lax in safety attitude is ridiculous.

Tata, Mahindra should advertize not only Vocal For Local, but also these tag lines, Vocal For Ethical, Vocal For Build Quality, Life Is Precious and Hence is Build Quality!

 

[vikyjoshi]

remember that most of these SUVs are driven on highways at or above 100kmph, a crast test in 60s(kmph) which the NCAP conducts, does not even simulate a realistic crash of the speeds in Urban Arterial and Sub Arterial roads in major cities like ...

Well generally during an accident people start to brake and speed slows down. 64KMPH is a reasonable speed and any speed beyond not even 5 star car would save people. So yeah it does not simulate real life high speed crash but under braking condition when speed is slowing this will work. This is what I feel.

What is really suprising is Seltos,

Well Kia is a Hyundai sub brand. again Hyundai like Suzuki do not make safe cars for india. So 3 star is not a surprise. Probably they have skipped on those essential things that makes seltos 5 star in other markets. Step motherly treatment continues. But why would it not. Indian junta always go for bling than safety. So effectively they have done their homework well. give blings, save on safety and then give bombastic hollow statement that they care for safety.
If these oem really cared for safety they would have provided the same 5star car to india. Mind you kia is new entrant, and any player would have come with their best foot forward. So they did come with all blings and minimal safety which Indians loved. Gullible Indians fooled yet again.

 

[Prabhagar]

Tata's attempt to capitalize on GNAP results.