Hyundai has become the latest company to standardise safety features on its small car offerings as the i20 Active, Elite i20 and Verna will all come with dual frontal airbags across all variants. Additionally, the Verna will also come with ABS as standard. Importantly, the additional safety features on the i20 Active and Elite i20 will be provided without any change in the car's price.
Also Read: Hyundai Elite i20 Gets Projector Headlamps & LED DRLs for 2016
The Korean carmaker has announced safety reinforcement and feature enrichment in the aforementioned 3 cars as part of its plan to improve the quality, safety and durability of its products. The company press release stated that the company understands the 'needs and aspirations of its consumers' and will continue to evolve its products as per the ever changing market trends.
The Hyundai Elite i20 and Hyundai i20 Active will now come with dual airbags as standard across all trim levels. Ford was the first in its segment to offer the features across all variants of the Figo hatchback. Maruti Suzuki was next in line as the Indian carmaker now offers both ABS and dual airbags across all variants of the Celerio, Swift, Swift Dzire and WagonR.
The issue regarding the poor safety standards offered by small cars in India was first highlighted in 2014 when Global NCAP performed crash tests on 5 small hatchbacks, all of which were given 0-star safety ratings. Based on the shocking test results, carmakers have ever since been trying to improve the safety of their cars. Volkswagen was the first to pay heed to the crash test results and raised its safety rating from 0 to 4-stars by adding dual front airbags as standard on the Polo. Toyota became the latest small car manufacturer to get a 4-star safety rating for its product as 2015 saw the company standardise airbags on the Etios.
Also Read: Toyota Etios Awarded 4-Stars in Global NCAP Crash Test
Hyundai has also announced feature enrichments on the fluidic Verna, Elite i20 and i20 Active. The Elite i20 will come with projector headlamps, LED DRLs, and static cornering lights. A new body colour called 'Phantom Black' has also been made available to customers.
