The Tata Nexon has scored five stars in the latest Global NCAP crash test ratings. It is the only Indian car so far to score five stars in the GNCAP crash tests. The recently launched Mahindra Marazzo scored four stars in the GNCAP tests.
These tests were conducted in December 2018. Earlier, in August 2018, the Tata Nexon had scored four stars in its crash test. The company then worked on improving it further, adding features like a passenger seat belt reminder and working on the chassis even more.
Watch the crash test of the Tata Nexon below:
The Tata Nexon scored 16.06 out of 17 for adult occupant safety, which is among the highest even among global cars. The feat is commendable considering most cars that score five stars usually have more than two airbags, while the Nexon comes with two as standard. The tests include a frontal offset impact test at 64 kmph, which is higher than the Indian government mandated speed of 56 kmph.
The Tata Nexon even passed a side-impact test at 64 kmph, going to show the robustness of its design and construction. Tata cars have usually been a lot heavier in weight than their competitors, but it looks like most of that weight was in the steel used for the body.
It also scored three out of five stars for child occupant safety, which is better than most of the other Indian cars tested.
The recently launched Mahindra Marazzo meets the next level of safety requirements for 2019 in India. Unlike the Mahindra Scorpio that scored zero stars in Global NCAP’s crash test (this was a 2016 base model without airbags), the Marazzo comes with two airbags as standard across the range.
It scored four stars for adult occupant safety and two stars for child safety with a 64 kmph frontal offset crash test. Here’s the video of the Mahindra Marazzo crash test.
The Mahindra Marazzo’s passenger side airbag appears to break the windshield on impact. The driver is likely to have some chest trauma and injuries to the legs due to pedal displacement. Older children in the vehicle may sustain some head injuries, according to the Global NCAP assessment.
India is said to be working on its own crash-test norms, the Bharat New Vehicle Crash Assessment Program (BNVCAP). The exact norms are yet not finalised, but they will likely come out in 2019. As part of the new safety norms, airbags are mandatory for all cars. ABS is to be mandatory for all cars, bikes over 125 cc and heavy vehicles.
In addition, commercial vehicles get speed limiters set to 80 kmph, while private vehicles get a warning beep at 80 kmph, and continuous warning chimes at 120 kmph.
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