Global New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) on Tuesday released crash test results for five Indian cars.
Renault Kwid , Maruti Suzuki Celerio, Maruti Suzuki Eeco , Mahindra Scorpio and Hyundai Eon were rated as with a dismal score zero star and showed extremely low levels of adult occupant protection.
According to the Economic Times, Secretary General of Global NCAP, David Ward expressed his concerns about the worrying conditions of the cars which were tested.
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. 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.David Ward, Secretary General, Global NCAP
The Economic Times reported that all five cars tested by the agency fared extremely poorly, the statistics are worrying for car owners around the country.
Renault Kwid
The standard version of the Kwid without airbags was tested and it scored zero stars in both parameters-adult occupant protection and two stars in child occupant protection.
The collapse of the structure in the passenger compartment and the lack of airbags were the main causes for concerns which led to the abysmal result.
Following safety improvements Renault proposed that Global NCAP test an updated evolution of the Kwid in production from early April 2016. The car was tested with and without an airbag.
The new Kwid had little improvement to show except in child occupant protection for which it was rated with a below average two stars.
The ‘improved’ version only had a reinforced driver’s side with minimal protection for passengers.
The new Kwid with driver airbag also showed similar results as the previous versions.
Renault has confirmed that they will implement further improvements to the Kwid and Global NCAP will test these new evolutions in forthcoming crash tests.
Mahindra Scorpio
Mahindra Scorpio also followed suit scoring zero stars in adult occupant protection and two stars in child occupant protection.
It was concluded that in the event of a crash, there is a high probability of the occupants receiving life threatening injuries. This is due to the collapse of the unstable structure combined with the lack of airbags.
Maruti Suzuki Eeco
It was zero stars for the non airbag Eeco due to the collapse of the structure and lack of airbags. It did not fare well in the child occupant protection either, clinching only one star.
Due to the structural collapse, the addition of airbags will not help the car amp up its safety in anyway.
Hyundai Eon
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 Celerio
The last of the lot, the non-airbag Maruti Suzuki Celerio followed in the footsteps of its counterparts attaining a poor zero stars in adult occupant protection and one star in child occupant protection.
The poor result was evidently due to the lack of airbags, as with the previous cars.
The launch of a Bharat New Car Assessment Programme is heavily anticipated with hoped that it can help build a market for safer cars in India.
The NCAP Secretary also emphasized the importance of manufacturers being pro-active and eliminating all zero star cars from production without waiting for legislation to execute rules.
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