[dZired]

Thank you to the Team-BHP fan (he prefers to remain anonymous) who sent this information in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing it with other enthusiasts!

With customer preferences inclining towards safety features in new cars, Maruti Suzuki has made safety-related updates on two of its models. Sources suggest that the Swift will now come with a driver-side airbag as standard on all trim levels. Meanwhile, the S-Cross lineup will get standard ISOFIX mounts on all variants. The official websites of both these models have not yet been updated with the aforementioned feature additions.

Prior to the said update, the Swift was available with driver and passenger airbags on the top-end ZXi/ZDi variants, while the lower trims got them as options. However, the hatchback will now be available with a driver side airbag as standard, even on the entry-level LXi/LDi variants.

Maruti Suzuki has been stressing on safety features across all its models since last year. The company had earlier added ISOFIX mounts as standard features on all variants of the Baleno and the Ciaz. The S-Cross is the third model to receive the ISOFIX update. Moreover, since the recently launched Ignis already comes with standard ISOFIX mounts, all models being sold through the Nexa dealership network are now equipped with ISOFIX for safely attaching child seats.

Link to Team-BHP News

[djkher]

That's a really good step from maruti. I recently bought a 2016 manufactured scross which doesn't get isofix and was curious whether it can be retrofitted. Is that possible?

[techcoze]

It's indeed great to hear that Indian manufacturers are becoming serious about basic security features. One would need feature like air bags only once in life, which might decide whether only car or car + owner RIP's. Once manufacturers start becoming serious about these features, automatically Indian consumer mentality will also change. Maruti having broad consumer base, most of rural area consumers may not be even aware of how air bags work and how they can save your life, because they might not have seen / owned car with air bags.

[Sherlocked]

I wonder if this move is purely because of the safety perspective or a move to tackle the competition.
I believe it's the latter since Hyundai has also made airbag as standard across all variants of Grand i10

If Maruti was so keen on the safety point of view, they should've given ABS as standard to compliment the lousy braking system of the L and V variants of the Swift.

Anyways, it's all the effect of competition, so let's pray that Hyundai makes ABS as standard then we'll get it on the Swift too.

[sub.g84]

I see this as a purely half-hearted move by Maruti who would probably use this as a marketing gimmick to maintain their sales going high and prevent Hyundai having an edge. Don't be surprised if you walk in to a Maruti dealer and hear "Saar, now airbag is standard in all our Swifts for the driver". God save the poor soul sitting next to him in a high speed crash. I mean if they were really serious about making safe cars then they would not stop at just the driver's airbag standard. More so, they still continue to produce cars with poor structural rigidity. So now the same car which was being sold earlier would just have a driver's airbag as a standard feature. Do you think if that's the case the car is going to be overall safe?

While I am not here to criticize and pardon me if my words sound harsh but I really wish the day is near when we can all boast of safe cars being rolled out of the biggest automobile maker in our country.

[Amit_breakfree]

This is a good move by the company, but what about the customers who bought Swift last year.

I am one of them as I got my Swift Vxi in August 2016. I had originally booked a Vxi (O) with airbags and ABS but there was no sign of my car after 2 months. Hence, I had to reluctantly come down to Vxi because getting a car was necessary at that point in time.

The ISOFIX mounts can be installed in S-Cross now but the Lxi and Vxi owners can't get this added benefit of airbag, and this is just putting me off.

Moreover, ABS and Airbags in O variant are just 25-30k costlier than the base variants. Why not make ABS and Airbags standard and increase the price by the same amount? People who purchase cars on EMI will hardly even come to know the difference.

It's disappointing for owners like me and there must be thousands others.

[vinit.merchant]

Originally Posted by Amit_breakfree

This is a good move by the company, but what about the customers who bought Swift last year.

I am one of them as I got my Swift Vxi in August 2016. I had originally booked a Vxi (O) with airbags and ABS but there was no sign of my car after 2 months. Hence, I had to reluctantly come down to Vxi because getting a car was necessary at that point in time.

...and this is just putting me off.

It's disappointing for owners like me and there must be thousands others.

Come on man, you had the choice. And you chose to pick the one without the safety features, instead of either waiting it out or choosing a different car which meets your needs.

Airbags cannot be retrofit, I believe, was known to you when you chose Vxi. Additionally it is not as if MS has added a lot of things there as standard. They just added the Driver airbag as standard.

That's no reason to feel sour/cheated.

[Amit_breakfree]

Originally Posted by vinit.merchant

Come on man, you had the choice. And you chose to pick the one without the safety features, instead of either waiting it out or choosing a different car which meets your needs.

Airbags cannot be retrofit, I believe, was known to you when you chose Vxi. Additionally it is not as if MS has added a lot of things there as standard. They just added the Driver airbag as standard.

That's no reason to feel sour/cheated.

I know that I had the choice and I made the choice myself, no-one told me to do so as I was fully aware of my choices. But as you know, while choosing a car, there are a lot of things which come into picture, which include your budget, preference, requirements, among others.

I am not saying that this is a big addition, but it is always useful to be one up. Having one airbag is always better than having 0. And this is one of the reasons, I wrote the last line that Maruti, or for the matter of fact, all the manufacturer should include Airbags and ABS and increase the prices by 25-30k. That would be appreciated.

[himanshugoswami]

Airbag is SRS, i.e. supplementary restraint system, which means it is the second tied of safety. For example, for Airbags to be effective, one needs to be wearing a seat belt, else the same air bag can be a death trap.

Whilst it is a positive move to have airbags standard, what is even more critical, IMHO, is ABS. ABS is part of the first line of safety, in as much as it actively prevents an accident by ensuring wheels dont lock up and driver retains control. If I had to chose between a car that just has airbags vs one which has ABS but no airbags, I would choose the latter anyday.

Of course, it goes without saying that every car should have both Airbags and ABS as standard.

[jetsetgo08]

Still, there is no announcement by Maruti on the addition of Airbag to Swift, and the dealers are unaware of any such updates to Swift/Dzire.

[Carma2017]

Maruti is no saint.The ISO FIX is being fitted across the lineup due to upcoming regulatory requirements. The airbags addition is again in preparation of Swift being probably added to Nexa line up.

[volkman10]

Maruti Suzuki bets big on safety - plans to bring all its model crash compliant before the mandated schedule.

Maruti Suzuki to consolidate its cars in 4 Platforms ( current at 8 different platforms). The new platforms will harness Suzuki's Total Effective Control Technology (TECT) for addressing safer cars conforming to the new standards and higher ROI due to standardization of parts.

Maruti Suzuki's R&D team along with Suzuki team has designed a platform to provide advanced safety to occupants without compromising on fuel efficiency, performance and emission.
Called TECT this platform ensures vehicles are safer , stronger and 10% more rigid while being 15% lighter.
Ignis, Baleno and Vitara Brezza are being done on the Fifth generation A, B and C platforms to meet advanced safety regulations.

Among the existing models - S Cross, Ertiga and Ciaz have been certified by homologation agencies for advanced safety regulations.
At the entry level segment work is in progress on a new platform code-named PK5 to be ready in 2018 conforming to the crash standards.

Maruti Suzuki targets to bring 75-80% of its portfolio be crash compliant a year before the mandated schedule of the Crash regulations.

With product lifecycles getting shorter, it has become more important for companies to improve the economies of scale. Automobile manufacturers are, therefore, trying to introduce more models on a single platform to ensure the same production volumes over a period of 5-6 years for better return on investments

Link

[shankar.balan]

While I appreciate this, they could easily have offered us all this a decade ago itself and then truly been a 'leader'.

I dont want to take away from them but most manufacturers wait till circumstances and/'or governmental regulations force their hand, before taking steps of this kind.

Not even one of them is proactive, in the Indian market.

Probably because of our overall 'laissez faire' attitude to everything!

[Biohazard]

Originally Posted by sub.g84

I see this as a purely half-hearted move by Maruti who would probably use this as a marketing gimmick to maintain their sales going high and prevent Hyundai having an edge. Don't be surprised if you walk in to a Maruti dealer and hear "Saar, now airbag is standard in all our Swifts for the driver". God save the poor soul sitting next to him in a high speed crash. I mean if they were really serious about making safe cars then they would not stop at just the driver's airbag standard. More so, they still continue to produce cars with poor structural rigidity. So now the same car which was being sold earlier would just have a driver's airbag as a standard feature. Do you think if that's the case the car is going to be overall safe?

I couldn't agree more. I believe, driver and passenger side airbags should be standard across all cars. I'd rather move down a segment and buy a car with airbags and ABS, as opposed to buying one with a bigger engine and none of the safety features.

[pkrish]

Originally Posted by djkher

That's a really good step from maruti. I recently bought a 2016 manufactured scross which doesn't get isofix and was curious whether it can be retrofitted. Is that possible?

Revisiting an old thread with same query - has anyone retrofitted ISOFIX mountpoints in their older S-Cross or any car for that matter. And is it even possible through authorized service centers / outside?

Thanks in advance!