Which is the safest hatchback in India?

madan80 · 22nd February 2007, 14:21

i guess one of the questions that need to be clarified in terms of "safe car" is what is the definition of safe? is it passenger safety, drive ability or factors there in. Any small car needs to be seen in an impact analysis so that we know what is the levels of safety indian customers can expect. Side impact, crumple zones etc etc. Ideally, they should make it a norm to publish, with each vehicle being released, the crash test results, so that we can decide what are the factors we want to look at.

typeOnegative · 22nd February 2007, 14:30

What's with the influx of new members voting Palio?

Is this turning into an ego issue? Guys this is a poll on a web-forum.

finneyp · 22nd February 2007, 15:12

Hurray!!! Palio leads as the Safest hatch in India!!! Cheers!

muni · 22nd February 2007, 15:12

@Gunbir: "I really dont get how you guys (the ones that voted for the swift) can vote a car with inherent safety flaws like poor visibility as the safest car in India."

Thats a frivolous reason.

What visibility are you referring to..I dont see any problem with the front visibility where it really matters.

A lot of people are talking about the apparent build quality and i know most of it comes from the door panels' thickness and the body thickness for which Palio is the winner. It has gone into the head somewhere that thickness and more metal means more safety

I guess we are missing the crumple zones which enable the vehicles to absorb energy and save the lives when there are collisions. This is more crucial during an impact and i have a feeling that the SWIFT may have been designed well in this aspect is it is a more modern car.

Palio is good but feel Swift is safer..my opinion strictly.

Kool_Kid · 22nd February 2007, 15:13

I would put my money on swift .. Since it has Rally Based Suspension . ( It was derived out of Suzuki rally car ) .
So for me Swift - Getz -> Palio -U-VA -Indica

Equus · 22nd February 2007, 15:34

In terms of equipment, its gotta be the Swift ZXi..

pach · 22nd February 2007, 16:15

I think safety and thickness of metal are different things. As Muni says crumble zones are very vey important. How much of the impact can the front potion absorb rather than transfer it to cabin. I have read in the manual not to fit steel bars before the bumper, although it feels safe it would transfer the impact. Yesterday I saw a corsa had collided with a truck and frontportion (engine) was completely smashed but cabin was intact.

clevermax · 22nd February 2007, 16:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by srirambr

Palio. And palio it is.

toppled at around 60km/h after hitting a boulder trying to avoid a oncoming tempo

we were shaken no doubt but not injured ,the car was scratched but no major structural damage.

i have seen the palio after a similar accident but the top had peeled of like they show in ice cream ad's

That's because, palios, don't tcrawl at 60's. Try toppling the indica at 90 or 100 ks and then you will know which part of you will resemble an ice cream scoop.

I have also heard about a similar incident, 2 guys in a Palio doing 120+ Kmph toppled after hitting a divider or something, and those 2 could walk away (touchwood) from the scene. Now thats what safety is. I have driven both Swift and the Palio, and I feel Palio is still a safer car. (No offense) I don't think airbags can be of that use in saving lives if one is not wearing the seatbelts.

Take any tin box, and IMO if you're wearing seatbelts, you are 60-70% more safer during a collision.

typeOnegative · 22nd February 2007, 16:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by muni

Palio is good but feel Swift is safer..my opinion strictly.

Swift with ABS + Airbags is safer.

gunbir · 22nd February 2007, 17:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by RX135

I am surprised. If handling is the prime factor for you, Swift should be on the top. It probably is the best handler among the lot. Definitely better than Getz and as good as Palio if not better.

Yes, handling is a prime factor for me. Anyone from Delhi who has sat in my car during one of many such demonstrations given, can vouch for the fact that the Getz handles like a dream, and way better than the Swift. And yes, we have also compared them side by side. And I guess anyone who has been in my car can tell you I know how to test this. Once again, this is a common misconception that the swift is the best handling hatch in the country.

Quote:

Originally Posted by muni

Thats a frivolous reason.
What visibility are you referring to..I dont see any problem with the front visibility where it really matters. A lot of people are talking about the apparent build quality and i know most of it comes from the door panels' thickness and the body thickness for which Palio is the winner. It has gone into the head somewhere that thickness and more metal means more safety

No! I'm not talking about front visibility. I'm talking about overall visibility. Personally, besides the RVMs I use a lot of corner of the eye visibility to ensure I don't miss a wandering cyclist or stray dog. In my experience with the Swift, I wasn't too comfortable with the tiny rear windscreen and side panes. It may be frivolous to you, but it is of concern to me.

As for thickness of sheet metal and crumple zones, I don't want to say much cuz this can go on forever. End of the day... its simple. I feel confident enough in a Getz or a Palio to make sudden maneuvers at say 130kmph. I don't in the Swift. Is that easy.

gunbir · 22nd February 2007, 18:01

The Swift and the Getz both have a 4 star NCAP rating. But there are some subtle differences. While the Swift scores more on pedestrian safety, the Getz offers better in-car child safety.

I couldn't find any NCAP ratings for the Palio though. If someone can dig em up it would be interesting.

typeOnegative · 22nd February 2007, 18:03

Those figures may not be applicable for India btw.

Manufacturers detune everything here. And yeah, even I have not been able to dig up the Palio figures.

deepakhon · 22nd February 2007, 18:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by typeOnegative

And yeah, even I have not been able to dig up the Palio figures.

I believe the figures will be available only for vehicles that are being sold in Europe. Palio and its variants are not sole in Europe as they are manufactured for developing countries. This is the rough idea I have.

I guess it is time we in India have actual safety ratings published in the Indian context. If Swift and Getz have been rated at 4 in Euro NCAP, I do not think it will be the same in India.

In the absence of such ratings, I guess the safety we need to check out should be the data available from the unfortunate incidents that have taken place on Indian highways at various speeds. The way a particular car has behaved during those crashes might provide us some pointers to how safe it is.

In my opinion, Palio, Getz, Indica and Swift all are pretty safe vehicles to travel in. But if you ask me which one is the safest, I will not be able to answer.

clevermax · 22nd February 2007, 18:28

Palio has an NCAP rating 4.
The Grande Punto has a perfect 5 out of 5. Let it come to India and kill the competition like a fly swatter. ;-) Don't worry Fiat haters... Fiat marketing guys can't even sell a brand new merc at less than Rs. 10 lakhs if they are asked to do so.

prabuddhadg · 22nd February 2007, 18:40

While it does not come with ABS and EBD and airbags, its build quality does make the Palio a very safe car. The Swift Zxi would be a close competitor, though its build does not feel as solid as a Palio's.
I did not see the Fusion in the list- I guess it is not a regular hatchback. It too is a pretty safe feeling car.

View Poll Results: Which is the safest hatchback?
Palio	122	49.80%
U-VA	3	1.22%
Santro	3	1.22%
Getz	12	4.90%
800	3	1.22%
Alto	1	0.41%
Estilo	0	0%
Wagon R	0	0%
Swift	85	34.69%
Indica	16	6.53%
Voters: 245. You may not vote on this poll

22nd February 2007, 14:21	#76
madan80 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Santa Clara, CA Posts: 1,358 Thanked: 82 Times View My Garage	i guess one of the questions that need to be clarified in terms of "safe car" is what is the definition of safe? is it passenger safety, drive ability or factors there in. Any small car needs to be seen in an impact analysis so that we know what is the levels of safety indian customers can expect. Side impact, crumple zones etc etc. Ideally, they should make it a norm to publish, with each vehicle being released, the crash test results, so that we can decide what are the factors we want to look at.
	() Thanks

22nd February 2007, 14:30	#77
typeOnegative Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Vikhroli, Mumbai, India Posts: 1,502 Thanked: 28 Times	What's with the influx of new members voting Palio? Is this turning into an ego issue? Guys this is a poll on a web-forum.
	() Thanks

22nd February 2007, 15:12	#78
finneyp Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 2,762 Thanked: 403 Times View My Garage	Hurray!!! Palio leads as the Safest hatch in India!!! Cheers!
	() Thanks

22nd February 2007, 15:12	#79
muni BHPian Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 607 Thanked: 216 Times View My Garage	@Gunbir: "I really dont get how you guys (the ones that voted for the swift) can vote a car with inherent safety flaws like poor visibility as the safest car in India." Thats a frivolous reason. What visibility are you referring to..I dont see any problem with the front visibility where it really matters. A lot of people are talking about the apparent build quality and i know most of it comes from the door panels' thickness and the body thickness for which Palio is the winner. It has gone into the head somewhere that thickness and more metal means more safety I guess we are missing the crumple zones which enable the vehicles to absorb energy and save the lives when there are collisions. This is more crucial during an impact and i have a feeling that the SWIFT may have been designed well in this aspect is it is a more modern car. Palio is good but feel Swift is safer..my opinion strictly. Last edited by muni : 22nd February 2007 at 15:21.
	() Thanks

22nd February 2007, 15:13	#80
Kool_Kid BHPian Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Delhi Posts: 165 Thanked: 16 Times	I would put my money on swift .. Since it has Rally Based Suspension . ( It was derived out of Suzuki rally car ) . So for me Swift - Getz -> Palio -U-VA -Indica
	() Thanks

22nd February 2007, 15:34	#81
Equus Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,123 Thanked: 424 Times	In terms of equipment, its gotta be the Swift ZXi..
	() Thanks

22nd February 2007, 16:15	#82
pach BHPian Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 71 Thanked: 74 Times	I think safety and thickness of metal are different things. As Muni says crumble zones are very vey important. How much of the impact can the front potion absorb rather than transfer it to cabin. I have read in the manual not to fit steel bars before the bumper, although it feels safe it would transfer the impact. Yesterday I saw a corsa had collided with a truck and frontportion (engine) was completely smashed but cabin was intact.
	() Thanks

22nd February 2007, 18:01	#86
gunbir Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: New Delhi Posts: 2,465 Thanked: 33 Times	some fresh info The Swift and the Getz both have a 4 star NCAP rating. But there are some subtle differences. While the Swift scores more on pedestrian safety, the Getz offers better in-car child safety. I couldn't find any NCAP ratings for the Palio though. If someone can dig em up it would be interesting.
	() Thanks

22nd February 2007, 18:03	#87
typeOnegative Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Vikhroli, Mumbai, India Posts: 1,502 Thanked: 28 Times	Those figures may not be applicable for India btw. Manufacturers detune everything here. And yeah, even I have not been able to dig up the Palio figures.
	() Thanks

22nd February 2007, 18:28	#89
clevermax Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Tvm/Amsterdam Posts: 2,112 Thanked: 2,899 Times View My Garage	Palio has an NCAP rating 4. The Grande Punto has a perfect 5 out of 5. Let it come to India and kill the competition like a fly swatter. ;-) Don't worry Fiat haters... Fiat marketing guys can't even sell a brand new merc at less than Rs. 10 lakhs if they are asked to do so.
	() Thanks

22nd February 2007, 18:40	#90
prabuddhadg BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 811 Thanked: 82 Times View My Garage	While it does not come with ABS and EBD and airbags, its build quality does make the Palio a very safe car. The Swift Zxi would be a close competitor, though its build does not feel as solid as a Palio's. I did not see the Fusion in the list- I guess it is not a regular hatchback. It too is a pretty safe feeling car.
	() Thanks