India is one of the most sought-after markets for carmakers due to the huge demand. It sees manufacturers from all over the world coming in to sell their products in the country. Yet, many car makers, although accruing excellent sales due to fuel-efficiency, continue to sell unsafe cars. In fact, quite a few cars produced by Maruti Suzuki and Renault have fared badly in the Global or Latin NCAP tests. On the other hand, we also have manufacturers like Tata and Mahindra with a better record of NCAP ratings for their cars. In fact, Tata´s Punch, Nexon and the Altroz have scored five stars in the safety tests while Mahindra's Thar and XUV300 have scored four stars, which is commendable. So, if you are in the car market looking for a safe car, we have made a list of cars with the lowest NCAP ratings that you should consider before making your purchase. But, before we get to the list, let's understand what these NCAP tests are is. In a gist, Global and Latin NCAP or New Car Assessment Program aims to promote the sale of safer cars in developing markets by empowering consumers with objective information about the safety of vehicles. It supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the target to halve road deaths and injuries by 2030. The cars in question are subjected to crash tests and placed in potentially dangerous situations to see how well they protect the occupants inside. The difference between Latin and Global NCAP tests lie in the testing parameters. So, without wasting any more time, let's look at cars that scored zero in NCAP safety ratings.
The Baleno has been a popular car for the manufacturer but not many know that it was marked unsafe by the Latin NCAP. The popular compact car achieved 20.03 per cent in adult occupant box, 17.06 per cent in child occupant box, 64.06 per cent in pedestrian protection and vulnerable road users box and 6.98 per cent in safety assist box. The zero stars result is explained by the poor side impact protection, low whiplash score, lack of standard side head protection airbags, lack of standard ESC (electronic speed control) and the decision by Suzuki to not recommend child restraint systems (CRS) for the test.
The Swift is yet another best-selling hatchback for Maruti Suzuki. In the NCAP test, the hatchback achieved 15.53% in adult occupant box, 66.07% in pedestrian protection and vulnerable road users box, 0% in child occupant box and 6.98% in safety assist box. Latin NCAP attributes the poor 0 star safety rating to poor side impact protection, low whiplash score, lack of standard side head protection airbags, Suzuki not recommending CRS (Child Restraint Systems), lack of ESC and the use of standard lap belt in the rear centre seat.
Photo Credit: www.globalncap.org
The S-Presso is a micro-SUV by Maruti Suzuki developed to eventually replace the Alto. And like other cars by the manufacturers, it scored zero out of a maximum potential score of 17 for adult occupant safety in the Global NCAP crash test. The bodyshell integrity as well as the footwell area were rated unstable. While head protection of the driver and passenger was said to be good, both scored poorly in chest protection. The passenger's neck protection was also rated poor. Meanwhile, knee and tibia protection for the driver was rated marginal. In terms of child occupant safety, the S-Presso scored 13.84 out of 49 which is also quite poor. Hence, the overall zero star safety rating. It doesn't come with ISOFIX child seat anchorage and the child-dummies were secured in place using the adult seatbelts which did not offer adequate protection to either of them.
Photo Credit: www.globalncap.org
Renault Duster is the French brand's popular SUV for India and has been instrumental in Renault's success in India. However, in the Latin NCAP crash testing, the Renault Duster scored zero stars. In the test conducted, the Latin version of the Renault Duster scored 29.47% in the Adult Occupant box, 22.93% in the Child Occupant box, 50.79% in Pedestrian Protection and Vulnerable Road Users box and 34.88% in the Safety Assist box.
