How Does Your Car Score on Global Crash Test Norms?

Many India-made cars do not pass global crash test norms, but continue to be sold. Are you driving one of them?

The Renault Duster RXE variant without airbags scored zero stars in the Global NCAP crash test. (Photo: Global NCAP)

The Renault Duster base model without airbags got a zero-star rating in the latest Global NCAP (New Car Assessment Program) crash tests. But the results are not shocking. And neither is Renault to blame, at least not entirely. The problem is with Indian crash safety norms.

The Renault Duster that was tested by Global NCAP, an independent crash test agency that has been advocating safer cars for India, was a base RXE model that comes without airbags.

Global NCAP also tested a variant of the made-in-India Renault Duster, fitted with a driver’s airbag, which got a three-star rating. A three-star rating means that the risks of fatalities are significantly low, but there are injuries that are not life-threatening.

While one would normally think this was the best quality that Renault can dole out to Indian consumers, one does not realise that Indians are being shortchanged by blatant cost cutting. A similar Renault Duster made in Columbia scored four stars on the Global NCAP crash test.

Now how is that even possible if it’s the same car? Well, apparently it’s not. The Columbian version was fitted with a bigger driver’s airbag than the one that was made in India, resulting in better protection to the head and face of the driver compared to the India-made car. That reeks of cost-cutting.

The best guess is that Indian taxes and duty structure has led Renault to install a cheaper option for the Indian variant since it meets India’s current safety regulations.

Renault’s response to the crash test says the same thing – it complies with all Indian crash test norms:

Safety is of paramount importance for Renault and all our products meet and exceed the requisite safety standards set by Indian Regulatory Authorities. India is gradually moving towards international safety norms by including more robust safety regulations, and the assurance of the Bharat NCAP is a positive step in this direction. As a customer-focused company, Renault fully supports this initiative and we are already future-ready in terms of technology, design, and engineering for enhanced safety for all our vehicles. The Indian government has announced that the crash test regulation for the existing cars will come into effect in 2019, and for the new cars in 2017. Renault fully supports this.

New Safety Norms from October 2017

The Bharat New Vehicle Safety Assessment Program (BNVSAP) is set to kick-off in October 2017, and it is about time. India lost over 2,38,000 lives in road accidents, according to statistics from the WHO in a 2013 report.

Considering India is the sixth-largest automotive market in the world, it is about time the country had its own stringent safety standards. But there has been lobbying by carmakers here as well, to reduce the stringency.

Global NCAP, Australian NCAP, European NCAP crash test cars at 64 kmph for their star-rating program. In India, the industry has been lobbying for an inferior 56 kmph, arguing that the average speeds in India are lower. What is not being said is that the stricter norms would make cars even more expensive.

The new crash test norms that will be conducted by the ARAI (Automotive Research Association of India) include:

• Frontal offset crash test at 64 kmph (being deliberated)
• Side impact testing
• Pedestrian protection testing
• Rear impact testing
• Child dummy dynamic crash testing

These tests are in line with those being conducted by Global NCAP as well.

All new cars launched after 1 October 2017 must meet the new BNVSAP norms, while existing vehicles in the market have until 2019 to comply with the new norms.

It just means that you can continue to buy relatively unsafe cars till 2019. Here are some popular vehicles that have failed Global NCAPs crash tests in 2016 and 2017, besides the Renault Duster.

Renault Kwid

After three attempts to go past a zero-star rating, the Renault Kwid finally managed a one-star rating after it got a driver’s airbag and reinforcement in the A-pillars. Therefore, while the Kwid may not kill you, it could seriously injure you in an accident.

Maruti Alto

While Maruti Alto fared relatively better than Renault Kwid on safety norms, it also received a zero-star rating for the variant without airbags. Unfortunately, Maruti offers driver’s side airbags only as an option on all variants, and not standard. The Maruti Alto is India’s largest-selling car, selling over 20,000 units a month. It’s also one of the largest-selling cars in the world.

Datsun Go

After the crash test in 2016, Global NCAP went on record to say the Datsun Go should be withdrawn from the market because even adding airbags to the car won’t make it any safer as the body structure itself is unstable.

Mahindra Scorpio

Don’t be shocked. It’s true. The base variant of the Scorpio without airbags got a zero-star rating. Not just that, it also has an unstable body shell, which deformed on impact. That’s a pity because an earlier variant of Scorpio – the Scorpio Getaway pick up – got a three-star rating in the Australian NCAP, showing that Mahindra has probably compromised on safety with the newer model sold in India, in its quest to lighten the vehicle.

However, there are some cars that have fared relatively well. Here are some of the safer cars under Rs 10 lakh that you can drive – the Ford Aspire (3 star), Tata Zest (4 star), Volkswagen Polo (4 star) and Toyota Etios (4 star). Among SUVs tested, the Ford EcoSport and Mahindra XUV500 have got 4-star ratings in the Australian NCAP test.

Once the new safety norms kick in, all India-made cars will have to display their star-safety rating as well. While the cars may be safer, the consumer mindset needs to change. Even now, many car users do not use seat belts, and bike riders do not wear helmets. They only put them on to avoid being penalized by the traffic police.