A new bunch of Made-in-India cars has just flunked the Global NCAP crash safety test, and you’ll be surprised at how bad the results look. The Mahindra Scorpio, regarded by most buyers as a very sturdy and tough SUV, has fared quite poorly in the crash test, what with Global NCAP rating its structure as “unstable”.
Also, the airbag-less version of the Scorpio tested scored a zero star for adult protection, the same rating as that of the Datsun Go. What this means is, the 10 lakh rupee Scorpio is as safe/unsafe as the 3 lakh rupee Datsun Go as far as adult protection goes. The Scorpio is one of the best selling SUVs in India, and has retained this position for years.
The test involved crashing a Scorpio’s front end at a speed of 64 Kmph. After the crash, the SUV, which was loaded with crash test dummies to simulate human occupants of the vehicle, was examined for damage. The results indicated that both adults and children in the Scorpio would suffer major injuries, some of them life threatening.
Another popular car in the Indian market, the Renault Kwid, has also scored a zero star in adult protection. Even the airbags equipped version of the Kwid scored a zero. Global NCAP tested 3 Kwids, all of which got big zeroes. The key difference though is the fact that Renault is working on making the Kwid safer.
This reflects in the test results. While the body structures both the versions of the Kwid were deemed unstable, Renault has worked on making the driver side of the hatchback safer by adding structural reinforcements. The automaker is said to have further reinforced the Kwid, which is yet to be crash tested by Global NCAP.
The Hyundai Eon, another popular car sold in India and an Alto-Kwid competitor, also flunked the crash test, with a zero star safety rating for adult protection, and body structure rated as unstable. To sum it up, none of the entry level cars sold in India, from the Alto to the Kwid, have stable body structures, and all these cars have performed very poorly in the Global NCAP crash test.
Things don’t look good even a segment higher. The Maruti Celerio also got a zero star, with its structure deemed to be unstable. The people mover space has also come under the scanner, what with the Maruti Eeco also performing poorly. A zero star adult protection rating and an unstable body structure were the highlights of the Eeco’s crash test.
Via GlobalNCAP