Global NCAP: More than 6 lakh Zero-Star Cars Sold in 2016 in India
Safety is currently the biggest concern of Indian car buyers while looking through those limited number of options in every segment. The time is long gone when people saw the size of their car as the only safety measure in the country.
Technology has driven this segment to another level as you can get a long list of safety features that help you survive through a crash that was not even under imagination in the last century. Indian market has a long list of manufacturers that offer basic safety features as standard across their lineup.
Toyota, Hyundai and Volkswagen are few among those who offer ABS and 2 front airbags as standard while Ford offers six airbags in its top spec Figo hatchback and all other cars in the lineup.
Maruti Suzuki was criticized for not taking safety under concern but now, their NEXA lineup of cars even offer ABS and airbags as standard. Things are still on the bad side when we see the results from Global NCAP and the reason behind that is even more alarming than ever. The dual standard adopted by these brands for developed and developing markets is the only reason for this result.
Structural rigidity of the frame is one big factor that Indian cars lack currently. Most cars from the entry level segment are vulnerable to this deficiency as they are folded like paper when involved in high speed crash.
One big example of double standards was the use of a smaller airbag in India spec Renault Duster that got 3 stars while the same car from Latin America got 4 stars with bigger airbag. Cost cutting in companies by leaving basic safety behind resulted in more than 6 lakh cars with zero safety rating being sold in India last year.
The number is huge and takes into account one of the best seller in this segment, Maruti Alto. They nearly sell around 2.5 lakh units of the entry level hatch back every year and still, getting ABS into the same along with dual channel airbags was not considered ever. The same story is heard for Renault Kwid as it is also one best seller in the market.
In US, no car maker is allowed to sell cars with low safety rating and thus, every small car comes with 6 airbags and ABS on its basic trim. They will offer air conditioner on the second variant while all safety features can be found on the base trim.
Some of the popular 5-star rated cars carry technology like autonomous braking and traffic alert that helps the driver deal with tough circumstances on road.
The car automatically brakes before collision even if you put your feet away from the pedals and let you know when someone is passing from the wrong side at full speed. Indian traffic conditions certainly need more safety in the cars as people are moving up from the basic cars to buy a car that not just gives them some cold breezes but also protects at tough times.
Data & Images Source: OverDrive