[tsk1979]

Though I doubt he made the exact statement Verbatim, there has to be some truth in this. I remember clearly that around the time when Hyundai etc., came into market, Maruti people were openly saying
1. MPFI cannot work on Indian fuel, it will only work in foreign countries. But after being forced by Emission rules, they had no choice.
2. Side impact beams are useless.
So this statement is not really a surprise. Safety and Maruti were never bedfellows until recently.
However this tells people that they have been really foolish buying SX4/Swift with ABS Airbags. If they wanted safety, an 800 would have sufficed!

[anandpadhye]

Originally Posted by xinome

oh and yes please please bring 1.1 back

Hey,
You stole thoughts from my mind...

I drove my boss's Alto 1.1 around 3 years ago and I still remember the pick-up. AMAZING.

Maruti, please bring it back....

[basilmabraham]

This is a reply we got from Maruti Udyog regarding a query about safety in Maruti Cars.

"We are in receipt of your mail regarding the safety of Maruti Models.
To start off, we would like to assure you that your Maruti Zen, and for that matter any Maruti model being sold in the market today is in full compliance of any and all safety regulations that are in vogue today in India, and Maruti remains committed to meeting and exceeding safety standards that are being mandated for automotive occupant and pedestrian safety.
With specific reference to your query as to whether SUVs / heavier cars are safer in comparison with smaller lighter cars, we would like to inform the following.
The inbuilt safety in any vehicle today is more a function of the design aspects taken into consideration while developing the vehicle and the in-built safety features, than the actual size and weight of a car. With the advanced technologies available today with an automobile manufacturer, both in terms of newer and better materials, production processes, and also in design evaluation, it is eminently possible to design a ‘small’ or light car which can provide occupant safety of a very high degree.
Alleviation of injury in a vehicle collision follows three specific routes: Crash Avoidance (Active Safety Features), Crash Mitigation (Passive Safety Features) and features which enhance Post-Crash performance.
Crash Avoidance features include those features which we have come to regard as common place, including lighting and signaling systems, braking systems, wind-screen wiping systems etc. Crash Mitigation features include seat belts, airbags, collapsible steering columns, energy absorbing materials, safety cages etc.
Post Crash performance features are those which ensure minimized post-crash trauma. Examples include features like anti-jamming doors etc.
Maruti, and indeed, most vehicle manufacturers are now promoting occupant protection features as an indication of progressiveness rather than viewing protection systems as a burden.
The fact remains today that in India, safety as such is not a feature which sells, and many safety features which are in advanced markets accepted as the norm are not preferred by the Indian buyer today for the cost that it entails. Maruti offers advanced safety features today (like ABS, Airbags etc) as an option in many of our variants, and it is a fact that the requirement from the market for these options is extremely low. Even a proven feature like a seat belt (or a good quality helmet in the case of 2 wheelers) is today used by most drivers not because they are convinced of the immense safety that it provides, but because it is mandated by law, and enforced by challans.
Irrespective of the level of safety equipment that a car contains, the safest, but also the most dangerous, component in the vehicle is the driver. The driver is today the biggest differentiator between a life threatening (or worse) accident, and a minor accident or near miss.
We are really appreciative of the efforts on your personal front and your group to improve the awareness in the areas of automotive safety. Please do not hesitate to contact us in the event that you need any clarifications in any areas that you feel we at Maruti may be able to help you with.
On behalf of Maruti Udyog Ltd.
Dr K Kumar
Advisor - Engg"

[madan80]

Originally Posted by basilmabraham

Crash Avoidance features include those features which we have come to regard as common place, including lighting and signaling systems, braking systems, wind-screen wiping systems etc.

WOW! since when did window wipers become a "Crash avoidance feature"?

In india- they promote the basic stuff as "features" Like the tata 207 that has "POWER STEERING" writen as though its a big achievement.

They get away with this - and we let them! :(

[basilmabraham]

Originally Posted by madan80

They get away with this - and we let them! :(

Very true...the Indian mass market is still not mature enough to ask for safety features..all they want is a car which runs cheapest and can carry the maximum people...no one is bothered about the lives of those travelling and those on the road...

Can we do something about it...not to a great extent...All we can do is to be a bit more cautious and road sensible when driving...
Can team-bhp make a difference, I guess, yes...we can atleast instill the basics of safety to each visitor here...whether to take it or not, is their call...

drive safe...

[normally_crazy]

OK -- lets agree that he has been mis-quoted but the fact is that this interview was published in a national newspaper and there has been no effort to correct the same or issue a denial from Mr Khattar or MUL.

Originally Posted by basilmabraham

The fact remains today that in India, safety as such is not a feature which sells, and many safety features which are in advanced markets accepted as the norm are not preferred by the Indian buyer today for the cost that it entails. Maruti offers advanced safety features today (like ABS, Airbags etc) as an option in many of our variants, and it is a fact that the requirement from the market for these options is extremely low. Even a proven feature like a seat belt (or a good quality helmet in the case of 2 wheelers) is today used by most drivers not because they are convinced of the immense safety that it provides, but because it is mandated by law, and enforced by challans.
On behalf of Maruti Udyog Ltd.
Dr K Kumar
Advisor - Engg"

Ok - what does this statement imply ? Since according to MUL people wear seatbelts out of fear ,maybe MUL too is providing seat belts because it is a law to have compulsory seat belts in cars. If this was not compulsory, we could have seen the SX4 launched without seatbelts (forget ABS and airbags ) ?

Maybe they would have given us cars without head lights, tail lights, wipers, RVM's et all since these are safety features - IF it was not mandatory !!

[phamilyman]

My nominee for <insert-trash-News-channel-here> Corporate "What-dope is-he-Smoking?" award!

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

I hope Khattar drives the M800 and not anyother vehicle from the Maruti stable!!!
That said, "meets all safety requirements of law" is a very ambiguous statement. The law lays down very minimum requirement. The law requires HEAVY vehicles to have powersteering. The law requires ALL vehicles to carry spare headlamps and first aid box and a reflective triangle. ALL vehicles should have seat belts for passengers. All vehicles HAVE to comply with these requirements if they are to be sold in India. I find it pathetic when people claim (for example) that they provide seat belts as if they are giving away something for free.
Once the minimal requirements of law are satisfied, nothing prevents manufacturers from providing additional safety features, like, for example, airbags or ABS.
It makes some sense when people provide something over and above the minimum mandated by law and then make a song and dance about it.

[amannarwal]

dont know or cant comment on Maruti being safer than the MB

But yes may be if Princess Diana could have been saved from the accident if she would have been in a Maruti 800 because the press on the motorcycles would have been ahead of them and escorting them and not following.

[Nitin]

The only chance of Princess D sitting in a M800 is when its placed in a museum, as an antique piece. I'm sure even the servants in the Palace drive Hondas/Toyota/Vauxhall

M800??

[MaserQ]

Originally Posted by basilmabraham

This is a reply we got from Maruti Udyog regarding a query about safety in Maruti Cars.
The fact remains today that in India, safety as such is not a feature which sells, and many safety features which are in advanced markets accepted as the norm are not preferred by the Indian buyer today for the cost that it entails. Maruti offers advanced safety features today (like ABS, Airbags etc) as an option in many of our variants, and it is a fact that the requirement from the market for these options is extremely low.
Dr K Kumar
Advisor - Engg"

In recent times the once reluctant manufacturers have showed the willingness to offer safety features like ABS and airbags. The question is, how useful are a pair of airbags if the Indian mentality views seat belt usage as something that is thrust upon them. But the first baby steps have been taken. As more cars roll out with better safety features, customers are becoming more aware than ever.

As for Mr Khattar, I hope he was misquoted or a comment taken out of context. If not, I am afraid he isnt fooling anyone. To be fair, the Swift and SX4 have received 4 star Euro NCAP crash test ratings but that doesnt make the M800 any safer. It was built for a different time when safety and crash regulations were at a much much lower level.

[flipsyde]

what on earth was our man khattar smoking?!@#

[vishnuvijay]

Originally Posted by rahul_intlad

A long article so cant post the entire thing here but here's what the MD of maruti has to say with regards to the safety of the maruti 800 and the maruti van.The article also talks about the turnaround of maruti udyog Ltd.

Source:
The Indian Express – Breaking News, Business, Politics, Sports, Entertainment & Latest News From India

i wonder what the NCAP rating of a maruti 800 or omni would be if they test these cars. what were the indian express guys thinking.

[balaji_n29]

Either he has meant that as a joke or the press has blown it out of context. Come on guys it was a casual chat over lunch. Anyways, for those who have to see it to beleive it, here's the link to this interview of his IndianExpress.com :: ‘A Maruti 800 is as safe as a Mercedes, if not safer’

[vasudeva]

mod note: Threads merged.


Some two weeks back in Sunday Indian Express, Mr. Khattar of MUL claimed that Maruti was as safe if not safer than Merc.

//http://www.indianexpress.com/story/206142.html

Mr. Khattar's outrageous claim is this: ``Maruti 800, according to people who have studied, it is as safe as a Mercedes, if not safer. Some people said if Princess Diana was in an 800, she might have been saved.''

I do not know which studies he is referring to. But let us see the studies and data available. Apart from the NHTSA, The IIHS is the most reputed private sector organisation in the US which compiles crash test reports and reports on car safety. As anyone in the US automotive and insurance industry can tell you, these rankings and reports are used to fix insurance premiums on various models sold in the US.

Here is IIHS verdict on Suzuki models presently sold in the US. These do not include the safe Maruti 800 (as claimed by Mr. Khattar), but include the very unsafe Aerio, Forenza, Grand Vitara.

IIHS Crash Test Results

Also see these crash test videos:

//http://www.progressive.com/RC/VehicleOwnership/CrashTestVideos.asp

Generally, all Suzuki models in the US had average to poor safety ratings. By comparison, almost all Mercs had average to good safety ratings with their safety being usually class leaders (the general US consensus about Merc is `extremely safe and comfortable, but reliability below average').

Conclusion: Since Grand Vitara, etc are unsafe, and 800 is not sold in the US or Europe, Lady Diana would really have been much safer in a 800!